British world No. 186 Arthur Ferry defeated Wimbledon quarter-finalist Flavio Cobolli in his first match on his Australian Open debut.
The 23-year-old Londoner made a huge impression at the John Cain Arena with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 6-1 win over an out-of-form Koboli, who had been suffering from stomach problems.
Cameron Norrie joined Ferry in the second round, but the 26th seed was forced to fight hard by France’s Benjamin Bonzi, ultimately winning 6-0, 6-7 (2-7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 after three hours and 39 minutes.
Ferry, who has fallen to No. 186 in the world rankings, made it through the qualifying rounds without dropping a set and had just played her fifth main draw match at a major, prompting her mother, Olivia, a former tennis pro, to travel to Australia.
The win came six months after Ferry defeated 20th seed Alexei Popyrin on Wimbledon’s home turf, and being paired with a comparable player here might have been considered a good sign.
How Ferry ignored the VAR drama and made a winning statement…
Italy’s Cobolli seemed to be in poor health, but as the match progressed he got better and better, winning eight of his last nine matches and completely dominating the final stage.
Both players called for a video review in the long first set, but against Koboli after Ferry appeared to break serve in the seventh game, his opponent claimed the Englishman touched the net before the ball bounced wide.
British number 7, Ferry, challenged the ninth game believing that Koboli had hit an under serve while the ball boy was still moving.
Both were clear calls, both with Ferry on the right, but in a scene familiar to fans of Premier League football, the result took several minutes and the players waited impatiently to continue.
Ferry did not let the events distract him, saying, “I didn’t know what was going on there, but I knew it was worth it. When I asked for a video replay, I saw that the ball kids were still running, so it was worth the wait.”
He erased the disappointment of not being able to finish serve in the first set, steamrolling through the tiebreak, helped by some egregious mistakes from his erratic opponent.
Ferry was born in France but grew up in Wimbledon.
Coboli was primarily an aggressor, but Ferry, who ATP lists as quite tall at 5 feet 9 inches but makes up for his lack of height with incredible athleticism and quick hands, reaped the rewards by closing in on the baseline in the second set.
Kobolli wasn’t afraid to go to the net and had a great return game to get a break and take the second set, but Kobolli lost in the third set and after three games he called his trainer but got no answer.
While Mr Ferry’s father and siblings returned home in the early hours of the morning, his mother Olivia, a former professional tennis player herself, headed to Melbourne after winning the final round.
“When I won the last round, she asked if I could come,” Ferry said. “I said, ‘Of course, it would be nice to have you here.’ Obviously it’s a long journey, but at least it was worth it. She’ll get to see at least two games, and hopefully more.”
Who is Arthur Ferry?
Ferry’s father, Loïc, is also involved in professional sports as the owner and president of French top-flight soccer club Lorient.
Ferry, who was born in France and grew up in Wimbledon, said: “Having two parents who knew how professional sport works and the pressures of it and how to balance it definitely really helped my development at a young age. I was very lucky to have that.”
The standout junior opted to delay turning pro to attend Stanford University, but his progress has also been hampered by his battle with a bone bruise in his arm, the same injury that kept Jack Draper off the court.
Since his four-set win over Popyrin at Wimbledon, Ferry has been gaining momentum across the ATP Challenger Tour.
He won his first Challenger title in Barranquilla in August, was runner-up at the Athens Challenger in November, and reached three more quarterfinals, reaching a career-high world ranking of No. 185.
Ferry’s impressive performance also earned him a spot on the Lexus Great Britain Davis Cup team for the first time in the play-offs against Poland in September. He recorded a victory in his debut against Olaf Pieszkowski.
“I’m really confident. I don’t feel like I have to overplay to play with players like that,” Ferry said of his next match against Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Norrie overcomes epic 5-set battle
Norrie won a close five-set battle against Bonzi that lasted three hours and 39 minutes, adding to a strong opening day for the British hopefuls in Melbourne.
The 26th-seeded Norrie, the top-ranked Briton in the men’s draw, was in danger of an early exit after falling 2-1 to Bonzi in sets after Jack Draper withdrew due to injury before the tournament.
Norrie took the lead in devastating fashion, needing just 24 minutes to beat Bonge to Love. However, the matches that followed were anything but routine.
Bonzi won the next set in a tiebreaker and won the third set 6-3, putting Norrie in a big pinch.
But the 30-year-old showed his trademark grit and fought back, winning the next two sets and setting up a match against American Emilio Nava in the next round, winning 6-0, 6-7 (2-7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
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