Arthur Fery reached the first ATP Tour quarter-final of his career on Thursday, beating Adrian Mannarino 7-6 (9-7), 6-4 at the HSBC Championships at Queen's. The 23-year-old British wildcard closed out the biggest win of his career and stayed in the tournament as the last Briton left in singles.
The result mattered because it came after Cameron Norrie had lost to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Tuesday, leaving Fery to carry the home challenge on his own in London. He had already beaten Toby Samuel in the first round, but this was a different level: a tight opening set, a second set he had to finish while dealing with a nosebleed, and a place in the last eight at Queen's.
Fery did not hide what the moment meant to him. He said it was the best result of his career so far and added that playing in London, where he grew up, and in front of British tennis fans made it feel special. He also acknowledged that the path here has not been smooth, saying there have been plenty of ups and downs along the way.
The nosebleed was a reminder that even the cleanest scoreline can hide a messy match. Fery said it happens to him quite often and that he is used to it, adding that he does not really know why it happens and that nerves, tiredness and heat could all play a part. For a few moments at the start of the second set, he had to manage that problem and the pressure of closing out a career-best win at the same time.
There is a larger arc behind the result as well. Last year at Wimbledon, Fery was ranked 461 when he upset 20th seed Alexei Popyrin, and he has since climbed to world number 140. John Lloyd has said he sees no reason why Fery cannot go on to become a top-50 player, praising his pace, his slice and his appetite for the big stage. On Friday, Fery will face Francisco Cerundolo, who beat Jenson Brooksby in straight sets, with another chance to show that the run at Queen's is more than a single good week.
