Arthur Fery proves Wimbledon was no flash in pan despite De Minaur defeat
Arthur Fery proves Wimbledon was no flash in pan despite De Minaur defeat
Sonia TwiggMon, August 17, 2026 at 11:04 PM UTC
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Arthur Fery’s error count crept up at crucial moments as Alex De Minaur sealed the win - Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Arthur Fery only claimed his first Masters 1000 win a few days ago, but his meteoric rise over the last few months was halted by the resilience of world No 7 Alex De Minaur.
A little over a month ago, Fery became the fourth Briton to reach the semi-finals at SW19 this century with a never-say-die attitude and impressive movement that proved too much for countless members of the ATP Tour, including top 10 seed Flavio Cobolli.
At the Cincinnati Open, in a match punctuated by rain delays that turned a match clock of one hour 41 minutes into an almost five-hour event, Fery showed the same spirit as he fought back from a set and 5-1 down to win five games in a row and force a tie-break.
Despite winning six out of his last seven tie-breaks, Fery’s error count crept up at the crucial moments and De Minaur sealed his place in the next round.
The stop-start nature of the contest did not help either player find their rhythm in the tricky conditions, where De Minaur cut a disgruntled figure in the first set with regular pointed looks directed at his box, and Fery shanked three forehands in the first seven games.
Facing De Minaur in the 75 per cent humidity of Cincinnati would be a daunting prospect for any player, let alone one who only has 20 ATP Tour matches behind him, but Fery was more competitive than the 7-5, 7-6 scoreline would suggest.
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The pair have remarkably similar playing styles, with movement being such a crucial part of both games, leading to some entertaining rallies and lengthy service games, but it was the Australian who had the killer touch.
Fery had carved out three break-point opportunities at 2-1 ahead in the opening set, but De Minaur fought back to save all of them, including sending down two aces.
For Fery it was almost a case of having a taste of his own medicine after the number of comebacks he had dragged out at SW19 where once he slipped behind in matches it only served to reinvigorate his tennis. However, this time it was De Minaur who produced the winners in clutch moments.
Fery would have his chances to fight his way back into the contest after going a break behind with a loose service game in the second set. At 1-3 down, he had numerous chances to hold serve in a game that stretched longer than 10 minutes, but he was broken.
Just before the rain fell yet again at 7-5, 5-1, Fery had looked almost pointedly to his box, as if to ask “what else can I do?” as he switched tactics and set up opportunities only to fall short at the key moments.
However, after the rain delay, at the 10th time of asking, Fery managed to break for the first time in the match, and came back to win five games in a row to force the tie-break.
Although Fery was not able to grind out a win on this occasion as he continues to get to grips with the tour, he showed that he has the capacity to cause problems for the world’s top 10 and that Wimbledon was unlikely to be a flash in the pan.
Source: “AOL Sports”
