Arthur Fery plays second seed Alexander Zverev for a place in the Wimbledon final against either Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic as the homegrown British wildcard bids to extend his extraordinary run at the Championships.
Fery is the second wildcard in Wimbledon history to reach the semi-finals, following the 2001 champion Goran Ivanisevic, and the 23-year-old is only the fifth British man to make it though to the semi-finals in the open era.
Starting Wimbledon ranked 114th in the world, Fery’s unexpected breakthrough has captured the attention of the country. He will now face another step up against Zverev, who ended his long wait for a first grand slam title at last month’s French Open, in a match where the start time has been changed to avoid a potential clash with the Spain v Belgium World Cup quarter-final being shown on the BBC this evening.
Later, Djokovic continues his epic quest to win a record 25th grand slam title at the age of 39 as he faces defending Wimbledon champion and world No 1 Sinner in another blockbuster semi-final.
Djokovic won the longest match of his Wimbledon career on Tuesday, beating the third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in a match tiebreak and after an astonishing five hours and 15 minutes.
Djokovic lost to Sinner in straight sets in last year’s semi-finals, but Djokovic beat Sinner in their last meeting at the Australian Open in January, producing one of the greatest performances of this stage of his career to end Sinner’s dominant winning streak in five sets.
Follow latest scores and updates from Wimbledon, below
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Novak Djokovic v Jannik Sinner start time: When is blockbuster Wimbledon semi-final?
Wimbledon LIVE: Latest tennis scores and updates
- British wildcard Arthur Fery trails Alexander Zverev after losing first-set tiebreak 7-0
- FIRST SET! Fery shows nerves in one-sided tiebreak after competitive set
- Fery, the world No 114, aiming to become second wildcard to reach Wimbledon final
- The 23-year-old faces tough test against French Open champion and second seed
- Match to be played on Centre Court, before Novak Djokovic v Jannik Sinner
Arthur Fery 6-7 1-4 Alexander Zverev*
14:56 , Mike JonesOh! Fery serves and comes forward to meet a short return. He continues to the net and lands two volleys before a powerful shot from Zverev clips his racket and flies out of play.
Fery admits to the umpire that he touched the ball and the point goes to Zverev.
Fery takes the next point but then struggles with Zverev’s top spin and strokes a forehand over the back of court. 15-30.
On insane! Fery can’t believe it as he he plays a drop volley over the net only for Zverev to fly forward and curl a flicked forehand onto the line!
Fery’s serve pulls a point back to make it 30-40 but a bullish Zverev doesn’t let him off the hook and he secures a double break!
*Arthur Fery 6-7 1-3 Alexander Zverev
14:51 , Mike JonesThe wheels might be getting a little loose for Arthur Fery.
He’s still frustrated by chair umpire Marijana Veljovic not calling let when he thinks the ball has clipped the net.
It’s not a good look to challenge the umpire at any time but especially not when the momentum of the set, and the match in truth, is moving away from you.
Zverev sweeps through the next game with a hold to love and completes his break.
Arthur Fery v Marijana Veljovic
14:51 , Jamie BraidwoodNot for the first time, Arthur Fery thinks one of Alexander Zverev’s enormous serves catches the net-cord. He raises his arms and protests to the Serbian umpire Marijana Veljovic, who has received a bit of an earful from Fery in the last 10 minutes or so.
Brutal for Arthur Fery - and from Alexander Zverev
14:48 , Jamie BraidwoodTough for Arthur Fery having to replay the point on 0-30 due to a ball kid getting in the way of his scrambling attempt to make the pass. But Alexander Zverev stepped up his return, pulverising the Fery serve to break to love. That’s sucked some of the life out of Centre Court.
Arthur Fery 6-7 1-2 Alexander Zverev*
14:47 , Mike JonesDanger. Danger for Arthur Fery.
His energy levels seem to have dipped since the end of the first set and Zverev looks to take advantage thanks to a couple of ripping forehands.
Fery is perturbed as one of the ball boys reacts to collect a miscue from Zverev even though the ball lands in play.
The point is replayed and Zverev slaps Fery’s second serve furiously past him.
The German wins the next point too and break serve!
Fery needs to find some inspiration from somewhere.
*Arthur Fery 6-7 1-1 Alexander Zverev
14:43 , Mike JonesThere’s some nice work from Fery but also some errors creeping in. Zverev is dictating and switching things up with drop shots and volleys to back up his powerful serve.
Without too much trouble he moves up to 40-15.
But, in trying to swing across court with a backhand he knocks the ball out of play and there may be a way back into the game for Fery...
Nope. Zverev holds with a blistering passing forehand.
Arthur Fery 6-7 1-0 Alexander Zverev*
14:40 , Mike JonesHold! That could be crucial.
From deuce, Fery takes the next two points to hold serve and get the crowd behind him again.
*Arthur Fery 6-7 0-0 Alexander Zverev
14:38 , Mike JonesFery needs to shrug off any disappointment and focus on what he’s been doing well.
It’s probably crucial that he wins this set if he is to win this match.
After giving up the first point of the second set, on his own serve, he takes the the next two and looks to have regained his composure.
A forehand slice from Zverev sets up a forehand down the line for Fery but he goes wide! 30-30.
Fery stays firm and fires a serve down the T which stops Zverev from getting back the return. He then serves out wide and a loopy return from the German sets up a smash but Fery takes his eye off the ball and rattles it into the net.
Deuce.
Arthur Fery requires another comeback
14:38 , Jamie BraidwoodThat turned into a brutal tiebreak for Arthur Fery. It quickly ran away from him after the double-fault, with the forehand error on the following point really doing some damage. But the good news for Fery is that he won’t be daunted by finding himself in a losing position. He also lost the first sets in rounds one and two, then was two sets to one down in rounds three and four.
Holding serve at the start of the second feels imperative, though.
FIRST SET! Arthur Fery 6-7 Alexander Zverev
14:34 , Mike JonesOh wow.
That tiebreak was as one-sided as can be. Sacha Zverev wins the first set of this Wimbledon semi-final.
A decent effort to stick with him from Fery but that tiebreak is one to forgot straight away.
*Arthur Fery 6-6 (0-6) Alexander Zverev
14:32 , Mike JonesZverev takes both points from his own serve and is in complete control of this tiebreak with a 5-0 lead.
Fery has to dig very deep to recover this position.
He can’t. Fery’s backhand floats too long and the German is one point away from winning the first set...
Irritation for Fery as Zverev fan shots during point
14:32 , Jamie BraidwoodA shout of “come on Sacha” as Zverev stood over a volley draws a stern glare from Fery and telling off from umpire Marijana Veljovic. But it may not help Fery recover this tiebreak after a double fault on the second points puts him into a hole.
Arthur Fery 6-6 (0-3) Alexander Zverev*
14:31 , Mike JonesSo, who will take control of this match?
Zverev has the first serve and flings down a 139mph serve which earns him the first point.
Two serves for Fery now...
The first is a double fault, which isn’t good.
The second is sent sent to Zverev’s forehand and the German returns. Fery looks to go across court with his own forehand and sends it out of play. That’s not good either.
Support for Fery could be crucial in first-set tiebreak
14:29 , Jamie BraidwoodThat was extremely smart from volley, drawing Zverev in with the drop shot then finishing him with the clinical volley. His grass-court instincts are superb. It was certainly the highlight of that 12th game, which was full of forehand errors. Onto the tiebreak! Can the atmosphere of Centre Court and the support behind Fery make a difference?
Arthur Fery 6-6 Alexander Zverev*
14:28 , Mike JonesThe pressure is now on Arthur Fery who needs to hold serve here.
The first rally of the game looks to be going well before Fery miscues one and gives the point away.
Zverev then finds the net in the next rally to give a point straight back. 15-15.
Wow!
Fery drops a shot over the net and forces Zverev forward. He tries to go down the line but the Brit nails a backhand volley to win the point.
Zverev finds the fabric once more and Fery moves to 40-15.
“Let’s go Arthur!” comes a chant from the crowd. Fery responds by sending down a fault and hitting another miscue. 40-30.
This time though it’s a miscue from Zverev. The first set is going to a tiebreak!
*Arthur Fery 5-6 Alexander Zverev
14:24 , Mike JonesWow.
Alexander Zverev brushes off any signs of pressure or nerves with, probably, the most dominant service of the match so far.
He holds to love and is one game away from taking the first set.
Are we heading for a first-set tiebreak?
14:22 , Jamie BraidwoodAlexander Zverev has won 20 of his 30 tiebreaks this season, including five from his six at this year’s Wimbledon. Fery has played five tiebreaks at this year’s Wimbledon, and has won all five (including match tiebreaks in the third and fourth rounds).
So both men carry extremely good tiebreak form if we are headed for a decider...
Arthur Fery 5-5 Alexander Zverev*
14:22 , Mike JonesA couple of early mistakes hand Fery a lead of 30-0 and he forces Zverev long and wide in the third rally to move 40-0 up on his own serve.
Yet, a double fault draws a few gasps from the crowd as Fery hands a point back to his opponent.
He then faults but manages to get the second serve in play. He hands Zverev the advantage in the rally and he lands a forehand right on the line to win back another point.
The Centre Court crowd try to gee Fery up and Zverev sends his return into the net!
“Come on!” yells the Brit after his hold of serve.
*Arthur Fery 4-5 Alexander Zverev
14:17 , Mike JonesNow would be a nice time for another break Arthur.
The Brit tries to go down the line and finds the top of the net handing the first point of the game to Zverev.
The German then miscues a forehand and pings the ball well out of play to make it 15-15.
A wide ace leaves Fery with no chance to return before a second serve from Zverev comes down the T at 122mph and Fery’s return goes long.
Zverev holds.
Arthur Fery 4-4 Alexander Zverev*
14:14 , Mike JonesArthur Fery will be pleased with this start. He’s on serve and has learned that he can break Zverev’s powerful serve.
The balls have been changed meaning they’re a little bouncier.
The ball striking from the two men is sharp and strong. Fery gives up the first point of the eighth game but Zverev hands one back by finidng the net.
Fery then wins a point from his serve before Zverev unloads a powerful forehand from just behind the baseline to beat Fery.
30-30.
A serve and drop shot from the Brit puts him back into the lead and he holds as Zverev fires a return too long.
Encouragement for Fery on the return
14:11 , Jamie BraidwoodZverev has made 20 of his 26 first serves (77%). Anything around the 80 per cent mark is a very strong figure, but the German has only won 60% of those points, far below his average for the tournament (80%). Zverev has made four aces, and a number of games will fly past Fery, but he’s also made an encouraging start and has got his teeth into all of Zverev’s service games so far.
*Arthur Fery 3-4 Alexander Zverev
14:09 , Mike JonesMaybe?!
A 137mph serve from Zverev is flung back and Fery takes the point by whipping a forehand to the right of the German and spinning it out of reach.
His lead doesn’t last very long as he goes on the attack and just lands a forehand over the baseline.
15-15.
Zverev closes the door pretty quickly though thanks to his serve. He shoots up to 40-15 before Fery clips the tape of the net on the next serve and the ball dribbles onto the German’s side of court.
Zverev leaves no chance to increase the pressure on himself and rattles a forehand past Fery to hold serve.
Arthur Fery 3-3 Alexander Zverev*
14:05 , Mike JonesHold!
From deuce, Fery takes the next two points and holds serve. He’s doing very well to match the No. 2 seed.
Can he create an opportunity to take control?
*Arthur Fery 2-3 Alexander Zverev
14:04 , Mike JonesOh that’s a little insulting. Fery lands a decent serve but Zverev effortlessly swats it into the far left corner of the court and the Brit cannot get back the return shot.
At 30-30, Fery forces Zverev deep and forces an error taking him within a point of holding serve.
He sneds the ball to the German left (backhand) and a rallies develops. It’s one of the longest of the game before a backhand slice from Fery isn’t the best and Zverev moves inside the ball and drives it to the back of the court and past his opponent.
Deuce!
Electric from Arthur Fery!
14:01 , Jamie BraidwoodThe footspeed from Fery as he reaches that Zverev volley! He raced up to the net and produced a gorgeous angled pass to squeeze the ball away from Zverev’s reach! Centre Court roars as fans jump from their seats and Fery whirs his arms to encourage even more noise!
*Arthur Fery 2-3 Alexander Zverev
13:59 , Mike JonesCan Fery respond?
His Wimbledon campaign has been littered with comebacks and he’ll need all the energy and fortitude he’s shown so far.
Zverev comes up to the net having worked Fery to the back left of court. The German drops over a short shot but Fery sprints up court and hits it back forcing a backhand volley into the net from Zverev.
15-30.
Wow!
Fery is flying around the court now. Zverev sends him really wide with a volley but he slides up to the ball and flicks it back on an acute angle whcih the German can’t counter.
Break!
Wow again!
Zverev goes long and Fery pulls the break back. Incredible.
You can see Alexander Zverev playing with his shoulders back
13:56 , Jamie BraidwoodArthur Fery rates his backhand above his forehand, and the same can be said of Alexander Zverev, who finds a lot of safety in the two-hander crosscourt.
But this is also a relaxed version of Zverev, after ending his long wait for a grand slam title at last month’s French Open. He is stepping in and taking on his shots
.
Arthur Fery 1-3 Alexander Zverev*
13:55 , Mike JonesFery’s run to the Wimbledon semi-final has been exceptional but he is up against it today. Alexander Zverev is the No.2 and the French Open champion.
So far he’s not found his range (he’s made eight unforced errors already) but that will come in time and Fery must capitalise here while he can.
He goes 15-30 down on his own serve and the crowd raise their level of encouragement.
Zverev blasts a forehand down the line and sets up two breaks points...
... He needs one. Fery finds the net with a backhand and the German breaks the Brit!
*Arthur Fery 1-2 Alexander Zverev
13:52 , Mike JonesNice from Zverev!
At 15-15, he serves to Fery’s backhand with the Brit looping back his return. Zverev drives forward and flicks back his shot to pull ahead.
He takes the next point as Fery goes wide with a return of serve.
Zverev then holds with a delightfl cross court backhand that Fery can’t reach with a right-handed stretch.
A more confident hold from the German.
Arthur Fery 1-1 Alexander Zverev*
13:48 , Mike JonesFery’s first service game starts strongly and he wins the first couple of rallies having forced Zverev across the court.
The German makes another error to blast a forehand into the net from the middle of the baseline and Fery moves 40-0 up.
The Brit sends a second serve to Zverev’s backhand and he drills a cross court effort well out of play.
Fery holds to love.
Arthur Fery backs himself as a 'good returner'
13:46 , Jamie BraidwoodIn the fourth round, Grigor Dimitrov won his first 16 points on serve against Arthur Fery. You don’t get a bigger server on tour than Alexander Zverev, who gets up to 138mph inside the first game. There’s encouragement for Fery as he gets to deuce here, drawing some nervy errors from the German. He is stepping up to the baseline to take the serve on.
*Arthur Fery 0-1 Alexander Zverev
13:45 , Mike JonesDeuce!
A quick exchange of points and Fery is level in this opening game. He’s done well in rallies once the return of serve gets over the net.
One of Zverev’s main attributes is his pacey and bouncey serve though. He fires down and ace to move to advantage but Fery drags him back to deuce.
Can the Brit break serve in this opening game?
No. Two strong serves from Zverev close out a hold but Fery will take some confidence out of that game.
Arthur Fery 0-0 Alexander Zverev*
13:42 , Mike JonesZverev has the opening serve of the match and sends it down the T line for a fault.
His second serve hits the middle of the box and rises on Fery whose attempted backhand flies out of play.
Fery has to deal with a 135mph serve next up and his return lands in the net. 30-0 to the German.
Cheers!
Fery gets a forehand return back and is worked over to the left side of court. He stretches and knocks over a low backhand which brings Zverev up to the net and his shot lands in the fabric.
Centre Court praise the Brit and they cheer again after a double fault from the German!
30-30.
Arthur Fery 0-0 Alexander Zverev
13:37 , Mike JonesThe two players go through a few warm-ups on Centre Court.
“He’s got to try and implement his game style,” says Jamie Murray on BBC One about what Fery must done to got through this match.
Arthur Fery 0-0 Alexander Zverev
13:36 , Jamie BraidwoodHonestly, Alexander Zverev has a whole head over over Arthur Fery. Can the home crowd help the British wildcard stand even taller? Centre Court will be overwhelmingly behind Fery, with Zverev expecting “99 per cent” of the crowd to be behind the Briton.
Arthur Fery v Alexander Zverev
13:32 , Jamie BraidwoodIt is quite the sight to see the 5ft 9in Arthur Fery lead out the 6ft 6in Alexander Zverev as the players emerge onto Centre Court. But the British wildcard has shown his big heart throughout this Wimbledon. Can the Fery-tale continue?
Arthur Fery v Alexander Zverev head-to-head
13:25 , Flo CliffordArthur Fery and Alexander Zverev have never played before, with the second seed saying he became away of the 23-year-old when he watched Fery’s Australian Open victory against Flavio Cobolli at the start of the year.
”I was very impressed back then already. He has a very clean technique and very clean groundstrokes. I thought he was a very good tennis player already back then,” Zverev said.
“We'll watch some videos, watch some footage, for sure. Again, I think it's no surprise I didn't watch loads of him play. I never played with him. But he's played a fantastic tournament. He absolutely deserves to be in the semi-finals.”
Athur Fery hoping for crowd support with 'nothing to lose' in semi-final
13:15 , Flo Clifford“Obviously I have the crowd behind me here, which is a huge help, especially on Centre Court, when you have so many people pushing me. I've been trying to use the crowd to my advantage in important moments, just to add a little pressure maybe to the opponents.
“I'll try and do that again at moments that feel right on Friday. Zverev is a step up again. I'm ready for it. I have nothing to lose. I'm just going to go out there and just put my game on the court, do what I've done, believe in myself. We'll see where that takes me.”
How Arthur Fery reached the Wimbledon semi-finals
13:05 , Flo CliffordAfter twice going the distance, twice coming back from two sets and breaks down, twice winning match tiebreaks, and having used up many more than just nine lives, Arthur Fery took some pity on the nervous wrecks watching him at Wimbledon. His 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-0 demolition of ninth seed Flavio Cobolli was no improbable comeback, no defiant, last-gasp raging against the dying of the light.
This was a clinic; a demonstration of Fery’s powers at their best.
Arthur Fery’s Wimbledon demolition brings wildcard run into uncharted territory
Can Arthur Fery beat Alexander Zverev?
12:55 , Jamie BraidwoodWhat has Alexander Zverev said about Arthur Fery?
12:45 , Jamie Braidwood“It's maybe a surprise a little bit that he's in the semi-finals. But I think he deserves it. The wins that he had, the way he fought back in a couple of those matches, is great to see. It's a great story.
“I'm very happy to play him in the semifinals. I think it's going to be a great atmosphere. I know that 99 per cent of the people will be cheering for him. But I also enjoy those kind of atmospheres. I enjoy when the energy is very high.
“For me, British crowds, the crowd here at Wimbledon, is always quite fair. They cheer loud, energetic, but they're still fair. I look forward to that challenge.”
What has Arthur Fery said about Alexander Zverev?
12:35 , Jamie Braidwood“Obviously I have the crowd behind me here, which is a huge help, especially on Centre Court, when you have so many people pushing me. I've been trying to use the crowd to my advantage in important moments, just to add a little pressure maybe to the opponents.
“I'll try and do that again at moments that feel right on Friday. Zverev is a step up again. I'm ready for it. I have nothing to lose. I'm just going to go out there and just put my game on the court, do what I've done, believe in myself. We'll see where that takes me.”
Arthur Fery v Alexander Zverev’s route to semi-final
12:25 , Jamie BraidwoodAlexander Zverev
- 1st round: Alexander Blockx 64 67(8) 76(5) 76(0) (2:55)
- 2nd round: Valentin Royer 61 63 76(3) (2:04)
- 3rd round: Marcos Giron 62 76(4) 64 (2:34)
- Round of 16: No. 13 Jiri Lehecka 64 75 36 76(6) (3:22)
- Quarterfinals: No. 6 Taylor Fritz 64 64 62 (1:59)
Time on court: 12:54
Arthur Fery v Alexander Zverev’s route to semi-final
12:15 , Jamie BraidwoodArthur Fery
- 1st round: Damir Dzumhur 36 62 62 61 (2:40 )
- 2nd round: (Q) Otto Virtanen 57 76(3) 63 63 (2:58)
- 3rd round: Zizou Bergs 26 75 26 76(3) 76(5) (4:39)
- Round of 16: (WC) Grigor Dimitrov 75 36 46 64 76(7) (3:55)
- Quarterfinals: No. 9 Flavio Cobolli 64 76(4) 60 (2:14)
Time on court: 16:26
Novak Djokovic v Jannik Sinner start time: When is blockbuster Wimbledon semi-final?
12:05 , Jamie BraidwoodNovak Djokovic continues his epic quest to win a record 25th grand slam title at the age of 39 as he faces defending Wimbledon champion and world No 1 Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.
Djokovic won the longest match of his Wimbledon career on Tuesday, beating the third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in a match tiebreak and after an astonishing five hours and 15 minutes.
Djokovic lost to Sinner in straight sets in last year’s semi-finals, before the Italian went on to beat Carlos Alcaraz and win his first Wimbledon trophy and fourth grand slam title.
But Djokovic beat Sinner in their last meeting at the Australian Open in January, producing one of the greatest performances of this stage of his career to end Sinner’s dominant winning streak in five sets.
Whether Djokovic can recover physically from his marathon efforts in the quarter-finals remains a huge question, but the Serbian may believe that this is his best chance to take the grand slam record.
With Alcaraz absent, there will be a first-time finalist on the other side of the Wimbledon draw: second seed Alexander Zverev will play British wildcard Arthur Fery in the other semi-final.
Novak Djokovic v Jannik Sinner start time: When is blockbuster Wimbledon semi-final?
Arthur Fery v Alexander Zverev start time: When is Wimbledon semi-final?
11:50 , Jamie BraidwoodArthur Fery will play second seed Alexander Zverev for a place in the Wimbledon final against either Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic as the homegrown British wildcard bids to extend his extraordinary run at the Championships.
Fery is the second wildcard in Wimbledon history to reach the semi-finals, following the 2001 champion Goran Ivanisevic, and the 23-year-old is only the fifth British man to make it though to the semi-finals in the open era.
Starting Wimbledon ranked 114th in the world, Fery’s unexpected breakthrough has captured the attention of the tournament and his semi-final against Zverev will take place before the blockbuster between defending champion Sinner and Djokovic on Centre Court.
Fery produced his best performance of the fortnight as he raced to victory against ninth seed Flavio Cobolli, winning 6-4 7-6 (4) 6-0 in a stunning straight-sets victory against the Italian, who reached the French Open final last month.
Fery will now face another step up against Zverev, who is through to the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time in his career after ending his long wait for a first grand slam title at last month’s French Open, beating Cobolli in five sets.
Arthur Fery v Alexander Zverev start time: When is Wimbledon semi-final?
Arthur Fery and the many global influences of a homegrown Wimbledon star
11:35 , Jamie BraidwoodThe French-born British wildcard who went to college in the USA and has a Dutch coach is through to the Wimbledon semi-finals while ranked 114 in the world. Yet not everyone is surprised by his sudden emergence onto the big stage
Arthur Fery and the many global influences of a homegrown Wimbledon star
Arthur Fery set for astonishing ranking rise after reaching Wimbledon semi-finals
11:20 , Jamie BraidwoodArthur Fery will climb 78 ranking places and enter the world’s top 40 after the British wildcard reached the Wimbledon semi-finals with a brilliant victory over Flavio Cobolli.
The 23-year-old entered Wimbledon ranked 114th in the world but will rise to 36th in the world, making him the new British No 1, after becoming only the second wildcard to reach the semi-finals at the Championships.
Fery was ranked outside the world’s top 300 this time last year and only cracked the world’s top 200 in October. He entered the world’s top 100, a significant career milestone, after beating Zizou Bergs in the third round.
Arthur Fery set for astonishing ranking rise after reaching Wimbledon semi-finals
Alexander Zverev expects to battle Wimbledon crowd and Arthur Fery in semi-finals
11:05 , Jamie BraidwoodAlexander Zverev is expecting to be up against “99 per cent” of the Wimbledon crowd when he faces Arthur Fery in Friday’s semi-final.
The second seed will play the British wildcard in the semi-finals after the world No 114 maintained his stunning run by beating the ninth seed Flavio Cobolli in straight-sets.
Zverev faced Cameron Norrie in straight-sets on Centre Court in the third round of Wimbledon two years ago, and will now face the new home hope in wildcard Fery on Friday.
Alexander Zverev expects to battle Wimbledon crowd and Arthur Fery in semi-finals
Arthur Fery reveals Emma Raducanu inspiration behind incredible wildcard run at Wimbledon
10:50 , Jamie BraidwoodArthur Fery has taken inspiration from Emma Raducanu’s sensational US Open victory after his own remarkable run as a wildcard to the Wimbledon semi-finals.
“My memory of it was that it was impressive how she didn’t let the occasion get to her,” Fery said after his quarter-final victory. “She would just keep going match after match, playing well, beating top players. That was until the title.
“It’s very tough to do when you’re not used to being on the stage, on such a big stage. She did it great when she won the US Open.
“Yeah, I’ve been trying to do that, as well. Just take it match by match, play my game, put what I do best on court, yeah, keep doing that.”
Fery reveals Raducanu inspiration behind incredible wildcard run at Wimbledon
What will Wimbledon run do for Arthur Fery’s future?
10:25 , Jamie BraidwoodFrom 198th in the world at the end of 2025 and entering SW19 at 114, Fery has transformed his game, having never progressed beyond the second round of a grand slam before.
A world ranking of 36th in the world awaits and, as a result, a first-ever top 100 appearance, which will temporarily spell the end of Challenger tournaments and qualifying rounds, better serving preparation and practice.
The run to the final four has banked him at least £900,000, more than his entire career earnings to this point (approximately £650,000). If Fery beats Zverev, then he will lock in a £1.8m paycheck and a chance to play for the £3.6m winner’s prize.
The five things you need to know about Wimbledon’s surprise new star Arthur Fery
10:20 , Jamie BraidwoodArthur Fery resumes his remarkable wildcard journey at Wimbledon when he battles Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals on Friday afternoon.
The French-born underdog has battled through the 128-men singles field to capitalise on his wildcard opportunity, sparking memories of Emma Raducanu’s run as a qualifier to secure US Open glory in 2021.
Fery is now just the second wildcard in men's singles history to make it to the last four, with Goran Ivanisevic’s legendary run to glory in 2001 the only other occasion.
Now Fery hopes to move within one step of repeating the Croatian’s feat, but French Open champion and No. 2 seed Zverev provides a daunting task.
Here’s everything you need to know about the latest home sensation at SW19:
The five things you need to know about Wimbledon’s surprise new star Arthur Fery
Arthur Fery’s Wimbledon semi-final to avoid World Cup clash after rescheduling
10:09 , Jamie BraidwoodArthur Fery’s Wimbledon semi-final with Alexander Zverev will be played from 1:30pm BST after it was moved ahead of the second semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner.
The players in the top half of the men’s draw usually play their semi-final first on Friday, as they have two full days off following their quarter-finals on Tuesday.
Fery defeated Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday while Zverev knocked out Taylor Fritz but will return to court before Djokovic and Sinner even though they played their quarter-finals on Tuesday.
Wimbledon’s scheduling committee considers various factors, as well as requests from players and broadcast partners, when determining each day’s order of play.
Arthur Fery’s Wimbledon semi-final to avoid World Cup clash after rescheduling
Arthur Fery urged to overcome early nerves and ‘shake up’ Alexander Zverev
10:05 , Jamie BraidwoodThree-time Wimbledon semi-finalist Roger Taylor has told local lad Arthur Fery to get his nerves under control and shake Alexander Zverev early to continue his fairy-tale run.
Taylor’s wife, Alison, coached British wild card sensation Fery in the infancy of his tennis career, and the pair have watched on with delight at the remarkable journey of the 23-year-old into the semi-finals at the All England Club.
Fery was ranked 114 ahead of the tournament, but has produced comeback wins over Zizou Bergs and Grigor Dimitrov before he dismantled Flavio Cobolli in straight sets on Wednesday to set up a last-four meeting with French Open champion Zverev on Friday.
“Arthur has a brilliant game. It is amazing how he has blossomed and every match he has played, he has come out and I think it’s a measure of a player by winning from behind, which he has done against people like Dimitrov,” Taylor, 84, told the Press Association.
Arthur Fery urged to overcome early nerves and ‘shake up’ Alexander Zverev
Sure, Arthur Fery comes from privilege – but it’s not why he’s shining at Wimbledon
09:50 , Jamie BraidwoodThe French-born British wildcard comes from a wealthy family but the world No 114’s self-belief and confidence that he belongs on this stage is the more remarkable aspect of his stunning run to the semi-finals
Sure, Arthur Fery comes from privilege – but it’s not why he’s shining at Wimbledon
How Arthur Fery reached the Wimbledon semi-finals
09:20 , Flo Clifford on Centre CourtAfter twice going the distance, twice coming back from two sets and breaks down, twice winning match tiebreaks, and having used up many more than just nine lives, Arthur Fery took some pity on the nervous wrecks watching him at Wimbledon. His 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-0 demolition of ninth seed Flavio Cobolli was no improbable comeback, no defiant, last-gasp raging against the dying of the light.
This was a clinic; a demonstration of Fery’s powers at their best.
Arthur Fery’s Wimbledon demolition brings wildcard run into uncharted territory
Athur Fery hoping for crowd support with 'nothing to lose' in semi-final
09:15 , Jamie Braidwood“Obviously I have the crowd behind me here, which is a huge help, especially on Centre Court, when you have so many people pushing me. I've been trying to use the crowd to my advantage in important moments, just to add a little pressure maybe to the opponents.
“I'll try and do that again at moments that feel right on Friday. Zverev is a step up again. I'm ready for it. I have nothing to lose. I'm just going to go out there and just put my game on the court, do what I've done, believe in myself. We'll see where that takes me.”
Arthur Fery v Alexander Zverev head-to-head
09:10 , Jamie BraidwoodArthur Fery and Alexander Zverev have never played before, with the second seed saying he became away of the 23-year-old when he watched Fery’s Australian Open victory against Flavio Cobolli at the start of the year.
”I was very impressed back then already. He has a very clean technique and very clean groundstrokes. I thought he was a very good tennis player already back then,” Zverev said.
“We'll watch some videos, watch some footage, for sure. Again, I think it's no surprise I didn't watch loads of him play. I never played with him. But he's played a fantastic tournament. He absolutely deserves to be in the semi-finals.”
When will Arthur Fery play Alexander Zverev in Wimbledon semi-finals?
09:05 , Jamie BraidwoodArthur Fery’s semi-final against Alexander Zverev will be the first match to be played on Centre Court on Friday. That will start at 1:30pm BST. It was expected that the other semi-final, between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner, would be played first, as their quarter-finals were played on Tuesday. But the order has been flipped.
Wimbledon order of play
Centre Court
1:30PM Start
1. Arthur Fery (GBR) [WC] vs Alexander Zverev (GER) [2]
2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) [7] vs Jannik Sinner (ITA) [1]
Arthur Fery faces a much toughest test against second seed Alexander Zverev
09:02 , Jamie BraidwoodArthur Fery will now face another step up against Alexander Zverev, who is through to the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time in his career after ending his long wait for a first grand slam title at last month’s French Open, beating Cobolli in five sets.
Arthur Fery's remarkable run to Wimbledon semi-finals
09:01 , Jamie BraidwoodStarting Wimbledon ranked 114th in the world, Arthur Fery’s unexpected breakthrough has captured the attention of the tournament and his semi-final against Zverev will take place before the blockbuster between defending champion Sinner and Djokovic on Centre Court.
Fery produced his best performance of the fortnight as he raced to victory against ninth seed Flavio Cobolli, winning 6-4 7-6 (4) 6-0 in a stunning straight-sets victory against the Italian, who reached the French Open final last month.
Good morning and welcome
09:00 , Jamie BraidwoodArthur Fery will play second seed Alexander Zverev for a place in the Wimbledon final against either Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic as the homegrown British wildcard bids to extend his extraordinary run at the Championships.
Fery is the second wildcard in Wimbledon history to reach the semi-finals, following the 2001 champion Goran Ivanisevic, and the 23-year-old is only the fifth British man to make it though to the semi-finals in the open era.
