Arthur Fery entered Flushing Meadows carrying the momentum of a breakout summer. Following his unexpected semi-final appearance at Wimbledon and a first ATP Tour final in Winston-Salem, the 24-year-old British number one rose from outside the top 200 a year ago to 33rd in the world. Missing a seeded position by a single ranking spot, Fery drew 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti in his US Open main-draw debut. On a rain-delayed, hot and humid third day in New York, Musetti proved too steady, prevailing 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 on Grandstand.
Focus Routines and Early Net Pressure on Grandstand
Stepping out on the US Open's third-largest court, Fery stuck to the personal routines that defined his summer breakthrough. At every change of ends, the Briton inserted earplugs to shut out background noise and maintain composure. His tactical intent was clear early, pressuring Musetti with inventive net play that briefly unsettled the Italian all-rounder.
The margins on hard courts remained slim. Serving midway through the opening set, Fery handed Musetti an opening with back-to-back double faults. Musetti seized the opportunity, breaking twice to wrap up the first set 6-3. Having missed the past two Grand Slams due to a thigh injury after reaching the quarter-finals in New York 12 months ago, the Italian demonstrated sharp opportunistic timing when openings appeared.
Sublime Backhands and a Third-Set Response
Musetti relied on his characteristic one-handed backhand—a shot he describes as central to his vintage style—to control key points. The Italian broke early in the second set behind a sublime backhand winner on his first break point chance, then erased four break points against his serve to consolidate for 5-2 before taking the set 6-3.
Fery fought back in the third set, breaking Musetti for the first time in the match to establish a 2-0 lead. However, Musetti answered immediately with a four-game surge as unforced errors began to mount for the British number one. Though Fery saved a match point on serve and broke back to level the set at 5-5, Musetti reclaimed the break instantly and converted his third match point, pointing to his head to signal mental strength.
| Player | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lorenzo Musetti (13) | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| Arthur Fery | 3 | 3 | 5 |
Second-Round Outlook: Musetti Advances to Face Sweeny
With his opening win secured, Musetti moves into a second-round match against Australian Dane Sweeny. Having logged little major match play in recent months following his thigh injury layoff, Musetti demonstrated against Fery that his single-handed strokeplay and shot selection remain formidable weapons when pushed under humid conditions.
For Fery, the defeat marks a tough overseas Grand Slam debut following his Australian Open appearance in January. Though disappointed to exit at the first hurdle, his steady rise up the world rankings caps a remarkable year. British interest in the men's singles draw now turns to Jacob Fearnley, Toby Samuel, and Jan Choinski.
Sources
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- bbc.co.uk original
- isport.blesk.cz original
- si.com original
