Arthur Fery of Great Britain has secured a spot in his maiden ATP Tour final following the injury-enforced retirement of James Duckworth at the Winston-Salem Open.
The 24-year-old British player was ahead 6-4 2-1 in the semi-final clash when his Australian rival, having requested medical attention following the opening set, decided to withdraw.
This makes Fery the inaugural British player to progress to the final of this ATP 250 tournament, building on his unexpected breakthrough to the semi-finals at Wimbledon back in July.
Additionally, he has climbed to a new career-best world ranking of 33, displacing Cameron Norrie as the top-ranked male player in Britain.
“It feels amazing to have made it to the final,” Fery expressed.
“Obviously, this isn’t how I envisioned the match finishing. I wish James a speedy recovery ahead of next week, but I’m thrilled to have advanced.”
In Saturday’s title match in North Carolina, Fery will take on Ignacio Buse, after the 22-year-old defeated French player Benjamin Bonzi 6-2 4-6 6-1.
The world number 36 from Peru is chasing his second championship of the year, having previously defeated Tommy Paul at the ATP 500 tournament in Hamburg during May.
Just two months ago, prior to his impressive showing at the Wimbledon semi-finals, Fery sat outside the top 100 in the world rankings.
His first-ever ATP final against Buse serves as a prelude to next month’s US Open, a tournament where he narrowly missed earning a seeded spot.
For his first-round match at Flushing Meadows in New York, Fery is set to encounter the 13th-seeded Italian, Lorenzo Musetti.
