No repeat of Wimbledon heroics as Fery exits US Open

Arthur Fery’s Wimbledon breakthrough could not be repeated in New York. The British number one lost his US Open debut 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 to Italian 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti.

Fery, 24, arrived in New York after reaching the Wimbledon semifinals, a run that lifted him from 114th in the rankings to inside the top 40. Ranked 33rd, he narrowly missed a seeded place, which left him facing Musetti in the opening round.

Musetti, a quarterfinalist at the US Open a year earlier, had missed the previous two majors with a thigh injury. He took control with his one-handed backhand and capitalized on Fery’s mistakes, including back-to-back double faults that helped decide the first set.

Fery showed his attacking instincts at the net and briefly threatened a comeback after breaking for a 2-0 lead in the third set. Musetti responded with a four-game run, although Fery fought back to level at 5-5. He could not hold that momentum, and Musetti converted his third match point to reach the second round against Australia’s Dane Sweeny.

The match followed a rain-delayed start on the third day at Flushing Meadows and was played in hot, humid conditions. Fery wore earplugs during changeovers, as he had at Wimbledon, while Musetti celebrated by pointing to his head after closing out the victory.

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