Arthur Fery's magical run to Wimbledon quarter-finals comes as no surprise to Taylor Fritz as American reveals regular beatings before 2024 ATP Finals

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Arthur Fery, the wild-card who grew up in Wimbledon, punched his ticket to the quarter-finals in an epic five-set thriller against Grigor Dimitrov, but his record-breaking run has come as no surprise to the American Taylor Fritz.

Highlights: Fery fairytale continues with stunning win over Dimitrov

Video credit: SNTV

Fery etched his name into Wimbledon history by becoming the first British wildcard to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final, producing a remarkable comeback to defeat Dimitrov 7-5 3-6 4-6 6-4 7-6(7) in front of a captivated Centre Court crowd.

The 23-year-old is the lowest-ranked man to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 12 years and will now face Italian ninth seed Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday for a place in the last four.

Displaying composure beyond his years, Fery refused to buckle as the tension mounted, becoming just the sixth British man in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon singles quarter-finals.

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For Fritz, who eased past 10th seed Alexander Bublik 7-6 6-4 6-4 in one hour and 38 minutes, Fery's new-found fame from being the only surviving Briton in either singles draw is no overnight success story.

"I know a good bit about Arthur," Fritz said at his press conference on Monday. "I went to London before the 2024 World Tour Finals and I did a training week there prior to Turin. I practiced with him most of the week. He was there.

"I was playing well. I made finals of Turin the next week. I felt pretty good about my game. He was beating me, like, every day. I was like, Yeah, this guy's really good. This guy can play.

"He had a good forehand for his size. Unbelievable serve. Like I said, we were playing sets, baseline games. He was cooking me pretty consistently for the week.

"I knew that I was playing good tennis, so it's not surprising to me that he's having results and also taking advantage of a draw that's, like, opened up a bit. It doesn't surprise me at all that he's winning. I've known since then that he can play."

For Fery, this was by far the biggest victory of his career with a remarkable display of resilience on the biggest stage, just minutes from the courts where he grew up.

Making his debut in the tournament’s main draw, the Briton twice recovered from a break down in the fourth set before keeping his composure to prevail in a deciding 10-point match tie-break.

Britain's Arthur Fery is through to the quarter-finals

Image credit: Getty Images

The defeated Dimitrov said he was not surprised at the level shown by his opponent.

"To be honest, no [I wasn't surprised]," said the veteran Bulgarian. "I've seen him play and I know that he's a fighter. He always plays till the end.

"I think he just went and grabbed the match when important moments came through. He went for it. That's as simple as that for me, the way I see it, from outside.

"I did a lot of unforced errors today - like a lot. But you still have to go ahead and win the match. Of course, the crowd, the atmosphere, everything helped for him. I'm happy for him. This one will be a memorable one. The night goes for him."

Fery: I'm going to cherish this for rest of my life

When the final point was won, Fery stood on Centre Court with his hands on his hips, shaking his head in disbelief as a standing ovation echoed around the All England Club.

Among those captivated by the drama was Roger Federer, who watched from the Royal Box as the Briton produced one of the finest performances of his career.

Speaking at his press conference afterwards, Fery said: "When I switched the TV on in the changing rooms for the first match, the women's match, I saw Roger was in the Royal Box, I didn't know he was coming, I sent a message to my team saying, 'Yeah, look, Roger's in the box, I'm pretty tight.'"

"It's incredible to be in that position where one of the greatest of all time is watching you, let alone, yeah, watching me play a five-set match against Dimitrov on Centre Court Wimbledon."

Such a finale had seemed improbable after Dimitrov wrestled control of the contest following Fery’s outstanding opening set and twice established a lead in the fourth.

But the world No. 114 once again demonstrated the resilience that has defined his Wimbledon campaign, refusing to yield before soaring into celebration after forcing a deciding set.

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Video credit: SNTV

"What I experienced today personally, I'm really going to cherish it for the rest of my life," Fery added. "Who knows, maybe I will never, ever get to experience that ever again.

"There's an unbelievable amount of emotion. It's tough to digest everything. I'm really proud of how my behavior on court, not complaining or not having any times of anger, but more how I'm fighting back and staying in matches.

"I had so many friends, so much family there, as well as all my team and people that I really trust in and enjoy spending time with. When I get over the line... it's great to share those moments with them."

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