British wildcard Arthur Fery continues dream run at Wimbledon 2026 as straight-sets win over ninth seed Flavio Cobolli seals semi-final berth

Great Britain’s Arthur Fery claimed a spot in the semi-finals of Wimbledon as his fairytale run continued at the expense of Flavio Cobolli.

The 23-year-old wildcard once again belied his current ranking of 114 in the world as he claimed a 6-4 7-6(4) 6-0 victory over the ninth seed.

Both players went toe-to-toe in the opener with Fery forced to fend off a break point at 4-3 to stay in the hunt. It proved crucial as Cobolli blinked at 5-4 with a double fault and a wayward forehand seeing him surrender serve and gift the wildcard a 39-minute opener.

The Italian, who could be forgiven for having a sense of déjà vu having lost to the Brit in straight sets at this year’s Australian Open, broke to love immediately in the second set, but was pegged back when the world number 114 took advantage of some sloppy play from the ninth seed to lash a magnificent forehand down the line.

Fery continued to look the more solid player amidst flashes of genius from his opponent and that proved key in the tie-break as the British underdog took it 7-4 to move two sets up.

Cobolli appeared eager to regroup heading into the third, but was broken three times as the home hope surged over the finish line by serving out to love with a third-set bagel.

The British underdog will now meet second seed Alexander Zverev in the last four.

"Just seems to get better and better every match. I just can’t believe it. It is incredible to play on centre court for the second time, second win. I just can’t believe it," Fery said in his on-court interview.

"I mean, I played Flavio earlier this year and I beat him in Australia, which was a boost of confidence as I knew I could do it. Even though it was my first time in the quarter-finals and he’s done it before in a Grand Slam. 

"That gave me a little boost of confidence, and yeah, I just kept going.

"I was nervous beforehand, but I just kept going to the finish line."

Fery is only the second wildcard to reach the last four at Wimbledon. The first was Goran Ivanisevic in 2001 when he went on to win the title.

Take a bow, Arthur Fery.

There's no late twist as he fires down two big serves and wins a super cat and mouse before another ace secures the game to love, the match and a famous win!

Cobolli can’t quite believe what he’s up against here.

The Italian can only watch as a bewitching backhand sears down the line and leaves him under more pressure at 15-30.

The ninth seed responds but shanks a forehand long to cough up yet another break point.

The French Open runner-up swats it away but arrows a risky backhand into the net to offer up a second.

Once more, Fery offers staunch defence to repel a massive forehand and then track down an angled volley to dig the pick-up to the baseline.

Cobolli can only tee him up for a bounce smash and the underdog does just enough to force the error and claim the TRIPLE break.

Fery will now serve for a place in the semis.

Fery smashes down his sixth ace of the match and follows it with a thumping first serve down the T to consolidate to love.

Fery is all business as he gets his reward for some major hustle to track down a dropper and find the outside edge of the line with a re-drop.

The wildcard works his way to two break points when his probing crosscourt backhand forces a forehand jab long from his opponent to snare two break points.

The Italian fends off both with the aid of the heavy forehand and clutch serve.

The ninth seed swats away a third at deuce but a backhand into the net after a pulsating rally coughs up a fourth and this time he buckles with a forehand wide.

It’s a double break and Fery is in dreamland right now!

Fery comes up shy with a floaty riposte long to allow Cobolli into a game at 30-30 following a pulsating 22-shot rally.

The Italian then finds great depth on a loopy forehand to lure another error beyond his baseline and earn a break back point.

Fery resists as he digs out a deep volley from a clever re-drop and back pedals sharply to execute a clinical smash.

The Brit attacks at deuce but is undone by a dipping, low pass that he can only slip low into the net on the volley.

Flavio goes big on the forehand trying to convert his second BP, but Arthur scraps his way back into the rally with a devilish low slice and another magnificent smash on the retreat.

The wildcard finds real zip and depth on a central backhand to force an awkward error and then consolidates via the long and winding road with a thumping inside-in forehand.

There was a lengthy break in-between sets, but Fery remains fully locked in.

The world number 114 senses the Italian is still in a foggy mindset and he takes on the return early at 30-30 to snare an instant break point at the start of Set 3.

Cobolli needs to stand firm but falters with an avoidable crosscourt forehand dumping into the net to send Centre Court into a frenzy.

The British wildcard is one set away from the semi-finals!

Cobolli probes at 4-3 but bunts a poor backhand into the alley and another stray strike off that wing flies long to give the world number 114 three set points.

The Italian fends off one with a wonderful stun volley on the stretch but is undone on the second when he can only lob long off an angled volley to lose the breaker 7-4.

Cobolli floats a slice wide early in the tie-break to cough up the mini break.

Fery does just enough with a smash off a 1-2 forehand punch to move 4-1 up but Flavio stays in touch with a hefty serve heading to the change of ends.

There’s a real air of determination about Fery as he booms a forehand winner to open and it seems to unnerve Cobolli, who wobbles on that wing with an unforced error leaving him with work to do again at 0-30.

Fery can’t pull off the Hollywood backhand down the line on the run and Flavio comes up clutch on serve to turn the game around and force the breaker.

It’s the minimum of a breaker for Arthur.

The Brit wins a wonderful cat and mouse as he stretches to volley a re-drop down the line in one of the points of the match thus far.

Cobolli offers what proves to be his only riposte with a big backhand down the line, but his misjudgement on a drop shot makes life easy for Fery, who pockets the game to 15.

Flavio executes a supreme, lunging volley to cut off  a rasping backhand pass but he falters with some basics and when a forehand flies long he faces up to 15-30 and the murmur of hope and expectation from the crowd.

The Italian pounds down an ace and stays patient at 30-30 in the face of some astonishing defence from Fery that ends with him blocking an overhead long.

The British wildcard can’t keep the pressure on as he drills a backhand into the net to leave Cobolli roaring with relief and delight.

Cobolli briefly threatens at 40-30 as a feathered, crosscourt dropper sees him claim the point of the game.

The minor accolade will, of course, mean nothing to him as a probing backhand lands just long to allow Fery to hold and apply the squeeze on the board.

Cobolli watches another Fery forehand whizz past him down the left and hooks a backhand wide to feel more heat at 15-30.

Arthur can’t deliver with a second serve return and ends up drifting a slice wide on game point after Flavio had taken charge with an ace down the T.

Fery zaps down two aces to finish as he marauds through a love hold to quickly push the board in his favour heading into the business end of this second chapter.

Cobolli’s frustration and concern is etched across his face as he toils at 15-30 and allows Fery to push again and make deuce.

The ninth seed responds in the nick of time as a pair of aces fire him out of dodge to keep things tight in the second.

Fery floats a sumptuous drop shot over the net to lead 30-15 and then moves 40-30 to the good when he follows up another dropper with a crosscourt backhand volley.

The wildcard then makes it three games in a row when Flavio dances into an inside-in forehand that flies into the alley.

Cobolli looks to be on track at 30-15 but a double fault and a poor forehand into the alley hands the Brit a break back point.

Fery senses his chance and sizzles a forehand up the line that proves too good and it’s all square in the second!

There are murmurs of concern among the spectators on Centre Court as Cobolli zaps another crushing forehand down the line, but it’s all he can muster as Fery gets back to basics with a hold to 15 that gets him back on the board.