British tennis player Arthur Fery staged a memorable comeback at the Winston-Salem Open in North Carolina, recovering from a set down to defeat Aleksandar Kovacevic and secure his place in the semi-finals. The fourth seed displayed remarkable tactical composure during Thursday's last-eight encounter, shifting the momentum in the second set to seal a hard-fought 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory.
Crucial Turnaround in North Carolina
The quarter-final clash began with Aleksandar Kovacevic taking early control, capturing the opening set 6-3 with powerful baseline play. However, Arthur Fery showed great determination to turn the match in his favor. The pivotal moment arrived in the second set when the scores were tied at 5-5. Demonstrating exceptional stamina and precision, Fery reeled off five consecutive games, winning the second set 7-5 and establishing an immediate lead in the final set.
That decisive burst proved to be the turning point of the contest. The 24-year-old Briton maintained his advantage throughout the final set to seal the match 6-3. Currently holding a career-high position of 37th in the ATP world rankings, Fery's victory reinforces his strong hard-court form during the North American summer swing.
Semi-Final Meeting with James Duckworth
In the semi-finals, Arthur Fery will take on Australian player James Duckworth. Duckworth booked his place in the last four after emerging victorious from a grueling battle against Hungary's Fabian Marozsan, who was seeded 15th in the tournament. Duckworth dropped the opening set in a tiebreak before mounting a full recovery to defeat Marozsan 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 6-4.
Fery will enter the semi-final clash with confidence, having previously beaten Duckworth at the Cincinnati tournament earlier this month. Both players will be aiming to build vital momentum as they prepare for the upcoming final Grand Slam of the year.
Wimbledon Success and US Open Main Draw Debut
Arthur Fery's rise in the international standings comes after an extraordinary summer campaign, highlighted by a surprise run to the semi-finals at Wimbledon. That performance lifted the youngster into the top 40 of the ATP world rankings for the first time, reaching number 37 and earning him a direct entry into the US Open main draw without needing to go through qualifying rounds.
Despite his ranking surge, Fery narrowly missed out on receiving a seeded placement for the tournament at Flushing Meadows in New York. As a result, the unseeded Briton has been handed a challenging opening-round draw against Italy's 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti.
Rain Interrupts British Action in US Open Qualifying
While Fery was competing in North Carolina, six other British players were scheduled to play their final qualifying matches for the US Open in New York on Thursday. However, heavy downpours forced tournament officials to suspend play and postpone several deciding matches to Friday.
Among the interrupted encounters, Jacob Fearnley was locked in a close battle against Austria's Jurij Rodionov. Fearnley claimed the opening set 6-4 before Rodionov leveled the match by taking the second set by the same scoreline, 6-4. When rain halted play, Fearnley was trailing 3-2 in the final deciding set.
Meanwhile, Harry Wendelken dropped his first set 6-7 (3-7) to Lithuania's Vilius Gaubas but managed to fight back in the second set, holding a 5-4 lead before the rain delay. Three British women, Heather Watson, Harriet Dart, and Francesca Jones, were completely prevented from taking the court due to the relentless rainfall.
There was positive news for Toby Samuel, who secured his debut in the main draw of the US Open. Samuel was awarded the victory after his opponent, Chile's Cristian Garin, was forced to retire during the weather interruption in play.
