British tennis player Arthur Fery is through to the second round of the Australian Open after beating the 20th seed Flavio Cobolli.
Ferry, a 23-year-old qualifier and the current world number 185, defeated his Italian opponent in straight sets 7-6 6-4 6-1 on John Cain Arena.
The British number seven, who did not drop a set during qualifying, again impressed at Melbourne Park, while his rival, who was a Wimbledon quarter-finalist last summer, struggled with stomach problems.
His victory comes six months after he beat another 20th seed, Australian Alexei Popyrin, at the All England Club.
Fery was happy his mother’s last-minute dash across the world was not in vain, after he marked his Australian Open debut with another impressive grand slam victory on Sunday.
While his father and siblings followed events from home in the early hours, his mother, Olivia, herself a former professional tennis player, made the long journey to Australia after his final qualifying win.
“When I won that last round, she asked me if she could come,” said Fery.
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“I said, ‘Of course, it would be nice to have you here’. It’s obviously a long way, but at least I made it worth it. She can see at least two matches – hopefully more.”
Fery comes from a sporting family. His father Loic is the owner and president of French top-flight football club Lorient, and Fery believes having parents who understand elite sport has played a key role in his development.
“It definitely helped when I was younger,” he said. “They know how professional sport works, the pressures that come with it and how important it is to keep a good balance. I’m very lucky in that sense.”
The opening set was unusual, with two lengthy delays more reminiscent of football than tennis, as both players requested video reviews.
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Cobolli claimed Fery had touched the net in the seventh game, while the British player challenged in the ninth when he believed his opponent had hit an underarm serve while a ball boy was still moving.
Both decisions ultimately went Fery’s way, but the reviews took several minutes to resolve, leaving the players waiting impatiently.
“I didn’t really know what was going on, but I knew it was worth it,” said Fery. “When I asked for the replay, I knew the ball kid was still running, so it was worth the wait.”
Fery played a superb returning game to take the second set before breezing through the third.
Still early in his professional career and playing only his fifth grand slam main-draw match, Fery has already shown notable self-assurance.
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A standout junior, he opted to delay turning fully professional to study at Stanford University, while his progress has also been interrupted by bone bruising in his arm.
He will next face Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Fery said: “I just feel really confident. I don’t feel like I have to overplay to compete with guys like that.”
