Arthur Fery faces tough opener at US Open
Arthur Fery, the Briton who captured the nation’s imagination with his remarkable run to the Wimbledon semi-finals this summer, has been dealt a formidable opening assignment at the US Open, reports BritPanorama.
Thursday’s draw in New York pitted the unseeded 23-year-old against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, the 13th seed and a quarter-finalist at Flushing Meadows twelve months ago. Fery narrowly missed out on receiving a seeding for the tournament, and the consequences were immediate. His reward is a collision with the world number 14, who boasts considerable pedigree on the hard courts of New York.
It was Alexander Zverev who ended Fery’s dream at the All England Club, defeating the young Briton at the last-four stage. Now another stern continental examination awaits.
Fellow British hopeful Cameron Norrie, ranked 33rd in the world, will open against the Belgian-born Frenchman Luca Van Assche, who sits seven places beneath him at 40th. Norrie arrives in encouraging form, having reached the last four in Los Cabos and progressed to the fourth round at the Montreal Masters.
Jan Choinski, Britain’s third-ranked male player, faces a tricky encounter with the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp, currently positioned at 71st in the world rankings. On the women’s side, British number one Katie Boulter will begin her campaign against Carol Lee, a 24-year-old American who received a wild card into the main draw.
Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion, will mark his return to competitive singles action against Russia’s Roman Safiullin. The Spaniard has been absent from the tour since April, sidelined for over four months by inflammation in his right wrist that forced him to sit out both Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The 23-year-old eased himself back into competition earlier this week through the mixed doubles, partnering Serena Williams, though he appeared to lack match sharpness.
Safiullin is no pushover. The Russian reached the fourth round at Wimbledon this year, dispatching Andrey Rublev and Joao Fonseca before falling to Djokovic. He also holds a victory over Alcaraz from the 2023 Paris Masters, when the Spaniard was ranked second in the world. Their head-to-head stands level at one apiece.
Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, continues his pursuit of an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles crown. The 39-year-old Serb, seeded fourth and currently fifth in the world rankings, opens against Argentina’s Mariano Navone, the world number 48. Should the four-time US Open champion navigate that contest, a considerably sterner test likely awaits in round two.
Potential opponents include Matteo Berrettini — whom Djokovic defeated in the 2021 Wimbledon final — or the retiring Stan Wawrinka, who received a late wild card for what will be his farewell Grand Slam appearance. The Swiss veteran and Berrettini met at Wimbledon this year, with the Italian prevailing in four tiebreak-decided sets. A potential semi-final showdown with Alcaraz looms deeper in the draw.
Main draw play at the season’s concluding major commences on Sunday. Fery’s early match against Musetti serves as a litmus test for his burgeoning career, a reminder of the challenges and unpredictabilities that define professional tennis.
