Arthur Féry, wild card and world No. 114, stuns Cobolli to reach Wimbledon semifinals
The 23-year-old Franco-British player, ranked 114th, defeated Italian Flavio Cobolli 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-0 on Centre Court to become the first wild card in the Wimbledon last four since Goran Ivanisevic in 2001.
The match
Arthur Féry, the world No. 114 playing on a wild card, delivered a commanding performance on Centre Court to beat Italy's Flavio Cobolli 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-0 in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. The match lasted 2 hours and 13 minutes, ending with a bagel set. Féry had already caused a stir by eliminating former world No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov in a five-set battle in the previous round. Queen Camilla was among the spectators.
It's getting better with every match. It's incredible to win for the second time on Centre Court, I can't believe it. I beat him this year in Australia, that gave me a confidence boost even though it was my first quarter. I was nervous, but I pushed until the end. In the last game, I felt emotions I've never experienced before.
A Wimbledon boy
Born in Sèvres, near Paris, to French parents, Féry grew up minutes from the All England Club. His father Loïc is president of football club FC Lorient, and his mother Olivia Gravereaux is a former professional tennis player. Féry attended school within sight of the Wimbledon grounds and learned the game on nearby courts.
It's like someone who grew up in Boulogne playing at Roland-Garros. He went to school five minutes from here, you can see the little church from the stadium, he's always lived there. He started playing tennis on the courts next door, he's a 'Wimbledon boy'. That adds to the emotion.
Féry is only the fourth male wild card to reach a Grand Slam semifinal, after Jimmy Connors (1991 US Open), Henri Leconte (1992 Roland-Garros), and Goran Ivanisevic (2001 Wimbledon). He is the first to do so at Wimbledon in 25 years. Féry was ranked 461st a year ago and came through the university tennis circuit.
- Defeats Grigor Dimitrov in five sets in the round of 16.
- Beats Flavio Cobolli 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-0 in the quarterfinals.
- Semifinal against Alexander Zverev.
What's next
Féry will face third seed Alexander Zverev in Friday's semifinal. Zverev, the recent Roland-Garros champion, advanced by beating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. Féry, who had never passed the second round of a major before this tournament, will turn 24 on the day of the final. He is the last British player remaining in the draw.
