British 23-year-old wild card Arthur Fery outlasted Belgium’s Zizou Bergs in a brutal five-set marathon at Wimbledon. Fery secured the 2-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10/5) victory in four hours and 38 minutes on Court 18 to advance to the tournament’s fourth round.
Key Details
- Historic Milestone: Fery is only the second British wild card in history to reach the last 16 at a Grand Slam, joining Andrew Foster.
- First-Time Thriller: The marathon victory marks the first five-set win of Fery’s professional career.
- Snapping A Streak: Bergs entered the match riding significant momentum after capturing the recent Eastbourne championship.
The comeback defied the math. Fery stared down a 4-1 deficit in both the fourth and fifth sets. He didn’t just fight his opponent across the baseline. He fought his own body. Play halted three separate times so the medical staff could treat Fery for persistent nosebleeds, a recurring issue he has battled throughout the current tournament.
Bergs controlled the early pacing. The Belgian took the first and third sets with ease. But Fery dragged him into deep waters, forcing a final-set tiebreaker to pull off his historic five-set win in front of a loud Court 18 crowd.
The match officially concluded late Saturday evening. Fery now moves into the second week of the major, completely resetting the expectations for the young wild card.