Arthur Fery’s Wimbledon dream continued in sensational fashion on Wednesday as the British wildcard became only the second men’s singles wildcard in history to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals, matching a feat achieved only by Goran Ivanisevic during his unforgettable 2001 title-winning run.The 23-year-old, who grew up just five minutes from the All England Club, charmed Center Court by ousting ninth seed Flavio Cobolli 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-0 to keep alive one of the most extraordinary home stories the Championships have witnessed.Ranked No. 114 in the world and requiring a wildcard entry to compete, Fery’s magical run quickly earned the nickname “Ferytale” as Great Britain suddenly found themselves with a genuine home contender in the second week.
Fery joins Ivanisevic in Wimbledon folklore
The only previous men’s wildcard to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals was Goran Ivanisevic, whose fairytale culminated in lifting the trophy in 2001. Fery is now just two wins away from emulating one of the sport’s most iconic triumphs.“He keeps getting better every game,” said an emotional Fery after his win. “I can’t believe it.”Backed by a deafening Center Court crowd and watched from the Royal Box by Queen Camilla, Fery produced one of the cleanest performances of his career. He made just 15 unforced errors compared to Cobolli’s 41 and sealed the memorable victory with an ace before climbing onto his back in celebration.“This last game, I felt emotions that I have not experienced before in my life,” he admitted.The win came after another memorable Center Court appearance earlier in the week, when Roger Federer saw Fery defeat Grigor Dimitrov in a five-set thriller.The royal support continued after the match as Queen Camilla congratulated the British star, while Princess Kate also praised her “fantastic achievement” on social media.Fery, who turns 24 on the day of the men’s final, also hinted at an end to a dream.“I told him it was my birthday on Sunday so it would be great to play the Wimbledon final on my birthday,” he revealed after speaking to Queen Camilla.In his way is the second seed Alexander Zverev, who recognizes the intimidating atmosphere that awaits him.“I know 99% of the people will cheer for him,” Zverev said. “But I also like these kinds of atmospheres.”
Other Wimbledon semi-finalists confirmed
Zverev booked his Wimbledon semi-final with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 win over Taylor Fritz and will face Fery on Friday. The other men’s semi-final will feature the seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic against defending champion Jannik Sinner.In the women’s draw, Marta Kostyuk advanced to her first Wimbledon semi-final after defeating Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2. She will face young Czech Linda Noskova, who beat Elise Mertens 6-3, 7-5 to reach her first Grand Slam semi-final.The other women’s semi-final will see top seed Coco Gauff take on Karolina Muchova for a spot in Saturday’s championship match.