Arthur Fery missed out on his first ATP Tour title with a straight-set defeat against Peru’s Ignacio Buse in the Winston-Salem Open final. Despite the loss, the 24-year-old Briton rises to a career-high ranking of 33 and overtakes Cameron Norrie as the British number one ahead of the US Open.
Arthur Fery fell just short of claiming his maiden ATP Tour trophy on Saturday, dropping a 6-3 6-2 decision to 22-year-old Ignacio Buse in North Carolina. The final marked a swift conclusion to a breakthrough week at the Winston-Salem Open, where Fery became the first Briton to reach the championship match of the ATP 250 tournament.
Little separated the two players in the early games on Saturday until the Peruvian seized control with a break to love to pull ahead 5-3 in the opening set. Fery then fell behind further in the second as Buse established a double-break cushion, and though the Briton managed to claw back one of those breaks, his opponent reeled off three straight games to secure the trophy.
A Meteoric Ascent From Outside the Top 100
The runner-up finish caps an extraordinary summer for Fery, who was ranked outside the top 100 just eight weeks prior to his astonishing run to the semi-finals at Wimbledon in July. That home major breakthrough catapulted his profile, and his subsequent hard-court form in North America has pushed him to a career-high ranking of 33.
That rise also allows Fery to overtake Cameron Norrie as the British number one. The momentum continued earlier in the week when Fery reached his first ATP Tour final after his semi-final opponent, James Duckworth, retired due to injury while trailing 6-4 2-1.
“I am really happy to be in the final. Not the way I wanted it to end at all. I hope James will get well soon and rest up for next week. But I am very happy to be through.”
Arthur Fery, via BBC Sport
Historic Victory for Buse in North Carolina
For the victor, the championship carries its own historic milestone. At 22 years old, Buse became the youngest ever winner of the Winston-Salem tournament. The triumph adds a second career title to his resume, following his success against American Tommy Paul at the ATP 500 event in Hamburg in May.
Buse arrived in the final following a hard-fought three-set victory over France’s Benjamin Bonzi, but he maintained a firm grip on the baseline exchanges against Fery to close out the straight-sets win.
Direct Journey to the US Open Main Draw
With little time to dwell on his runner-up finish in North Carolina, Fery turns his immediate attention to New York for the US Open, which begins on Sunday. Set to compete at Flushing Meadows for the first time, Fery just narrowly missed securing a seeding for the final Grand Slam of the season.
His opening test at Flushing Meadows pits him against Italian 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti. Fery is one of nine British players featuring in the main draws, joined on the men’s side by Cameron Norrie, Jan Choinski, qualifiers Toby Samuel and Harry Wendelken, and lucky loser Jacob Fearnley.
