Arthur Fery mouthed his surprise after beating Grigor Dimitrov in the last 16. The 23-year-old British wildcard, ranked 114th in the world, had not predicted he would be a Wimbledon quarter-finalist this year. Now he will aim to reach the semi-finals when he plays Italian ninth seed Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday.
Cobolli, 24, was the runner-up at last month's French Open and reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year, proving he can excel on grass. "Arthur still starts as the underdog given the difference in ranking and top-level experience," said BBC Sport analyst Jamie Murray. "But he has proven to be a great grass-court player and poses a lot of different questions to opponents."
“British wildcard Arthur Fery faces Italian ninth seed Flavio Cobolli in Wimbledon quarter-finals after stunning Grigor Dimitrov.”
Much has been made of Fery's 5ft 9in stature, shorter than most ATP Tour peers. While Wimbledon grass often suits tall 'servebots', Fery has relied on other weapons. His athleticism is one of his greatest strengths, enabling him to keep points alive and come forward at opportune times. "Arthur is one of the best at retrieving balls and staying in the points," said Dimitrov's coach Jamie Delgado. "When you're that height, your timing has to be really good – which Arthur's is. He can hit the ball at different heights and mix the pace well."
Fery's nimbleness allows him to spring forward and finish points at the net. He has won 78% of serve-and-volley points and 63% of points overall at the net – the second highest percentage in the men's draw. "That's been one of his biggest strengths this tournament," said seven-time major doubles champion Jamie Murray. "He's played over 200 points which finished at the net and won a very high percentage."
Fery is ranked as the best mover among the men's quarter-finalists, just ahead of Cobolli and top seed Jannik Sinner. Cobolli, once a promising footballer on the books of Roma, uses his own athleticism to match Fery. By the end of today, we will know whether Fery can become only the fifth British man to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals in the Open era.
