Alexander Zverev put an end to Arthur Fery’s remarkable Wimbledon journey on Friday, defeating the British wildcard 7-6(0), 6-2, 6-4 to book his spot in the tournament’s final.
Coming off a landmark victory at Roland Garros that ended years of near-misses at major tournaments, the 29-year-old German is now competing in his fifth Grand Slam final. He will face either reigning Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner or seven-time Wimbledon winner Novak Djokovic for the title.
On a warm and gusty afternoon at Centre Court, Zverev struggled to hit his rhythm early, trading service breaks with Fery before taking complete control in the tiebreak. The German dropped zero points in that tiebreak to claim the opening set.
Fery had been attempting to become just the second man in history to reach a Grand Slam final as a wildcard, following in the footsteps of Goran Ivanisevic at Wimbledon in 2001. The 23-year-old British player fought hard in the second set, but found himself trailing 1-4 as Zverev raised his level of play.
The passionate Centre Court crowd roared in support of Fery after the young Briton appeared to show his frustration on court, but Zverev quickly quieted the crowd by unleashing a powerful serve and forehand combination to take firm control of the match.
With a two-set lead secured, Zverev continued his dominant performance and closed out the match in efficient fashion, cementing his place as only the 13th man in professional tennis history — since the open era began in 1968 — to reach finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments.
