Arthur Fery Reaches First ATP Final as British No 1

Arthur Fery’s breakout season found another gear in North Carolina, even if the final step into his first ATP Tour final came with a win no player truly wants.

The 24-year-old Briton led James Duckworth 6-4 2-1 in their Winston-Salem Open semi-final when the Australian, already struggling and forced to call a medical timeout after the opening set, retired injured. A handshake, a brief exchange at the net, and it was over.

Fery, though, keeps climbing.

He becomes the first British player to reach the final of the ATP 250 event and does so just weeks after his stunning surge to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July, a run that has transformed his standing in the sport. Barely two months ago he was ranked outside the world’s top 100. Now he sits at a career-high No 33 and has overtaken Cameron Norrie as British number one.

“I am really happy to be in the final,” Fery said on court, the win tinged with concern rather than celebration. “Not the way I wanted it to end at all. I hope James will get well soon and rest up for next week. But I am very happy to be through.”

He had earned control of the contest before Duckworth’s body gave way. Fery took the first set 6-4, pressing on return and holding his nerve in the key moments, then broke early in the second to tighten his grip. The pressure finally told on Duckworth’s fitness, not his game.

Final Matchup

Now the Briton stands one match from a maiden tour title.

Waiting in Saturday’s final is Ignacio Buse, the 22-year-old Peruvian who has quietly put together an impressive season of his own. Buse battled past France’s Benjamin Bonzi 6-2 4-6 6-1 in the other semi-final, recovering from a dip in the second set to dominate the decider.

Ranked 36 in the world, Buse already owns one trophy this year, having beaten Tommy Paul to win the ATP 500 event in Hamburg in May. He arrives in Winston-Salem’s final with the confidence of a player who knows how to close out a big week.

Fery, by contrast, is stepping into this territory for the first time at tour level, though his recent trajectory suggests he is adapting quickly to every new stage he reaches. The timing could hardly be more significant.

His first ATP final comes on the eve of the US Open, where he will go in as one of the form players on hard courts yet will do so without a seeding. The ranking surge came just too late for that. The draw offered no early favours either: Fery faces Italian 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti in the opening round at Flushing Meadows.

Before that, there is one more test in Winston-Salem. One more chance to turn a breakthrough summer into something even bigger.