Arthur Fery reached his first ATP Tour quarter-final at Queen's, beating Adrian Mannarino 7-6 (9-7), 6-4 after handling a second-set interruption for treatment to a nosebleed. The 23-year-old wildcard is now through to Friday’s last-eight match with Francisco Cerundolo.
Queen's run for Arthur Fery
The win made Fery the last Briton left in singles after Cameron Norrie lost to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and it extended a run that has already moved him beyond the level he had reached before on this stage. Last year at Wimbledon, he upset 20th seed Alexei Popyrin on the opening day, but this result at the HSBC Championships is the first time he has gone through to an ATP Tour quarter-final.
Fery, the British number five and world number 140, said: "This is the best result of my career so far. It's not been easy, there have been lots of ups and downs so I'm happy to get through."
Mannarino's Queen's run
Mannarino’s Queen's run ended in straight sets, with Fery taking the opening set 9-7 in the tie-break before closing out the match 6-4. The French opponent could not force a third set, and the scoreline left Fery with the cleaner route into the quarter-finals.
John Lloyd said: "I see no reason why he can't be top 50," and added, "He's quick, nasty to play against, he moves well, isn't afraid to change it up with the slice, and he likes the big stage." Those traits fit the way Fery has handled two rounds at Queen's, first beating Toby Samuel before getting past Mannarino.
Friday against Cerundolo
On Friday, Fery will face seventh seed Francisco Cerundolo, who beat Jenson Brooksby in straight sets. The next round gives Fery a direct test against a seeded opponent after a week in which he has already turned a wildcard entry into a breakthrough result.
He also addressed the nosebleed that briefly slowed him at the start of the second set, saying: "It happens to me quite often. I'm used to it." He added: "I don't really know why it happens. Maybe nerves. Sometimes tiredness, the heat. I don't know. It happens here and there."
