British tennis player Arthur Fery is through to the second round of the Australian Open after beating the 20th seed Flavio Cobolli.
Fery, a 23-year-old qualifier and the current world number 185, defeated his Italian opponent in straight sets 7-6 6-4 6-1 on John cain Arena.
The British number seven, who did not drop a set during qualifying, again impressed at melbourne Park, while his rival, who was a Wimbledon quarter-finalist last summer, struggled with stomach problems.
His victory comes six months after he beat another 20th seed, Australian Alexei popyrin, at the All England club.
fery was happy his mother’s last-minute dash across the world was not in vain, after he marked his Australian Open debut with another extraordinary grand slam victory on Sunday.
While his father and siblings followed events from home in the early hours, his mother, Olivia, herself a former professional tennis player, made the long journey to Australia after his final qualifying win.
“When I won that last round, she asked me if she could come,” said fery.
“I said, ‘Of course, it would be nice to have you hear’. it’s obviously a long way,but at least I made it worth it. She can see at least two matches – hopefully more.”
Fery comes from a sporting family. His father Loic is the owner and president of French top-flight football club Lorient, and Fery believes having parents who understand elite sport has played a key role in his development.
“It definitely helped when I was younger,” he said. “They know how professional sport works, the pressures that come with it and how vital it is indeed to keep a good balance. I’m very lucky in that sense.”
