British qualifier Arthur Fery claimed a stunning first-round victory at the Australian Open, defeating Italian 20th seed Flavio Cobolli 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 6-1 to cause the first upset of the men’s draw.

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Smart, Aggressive Tennis

World number 186 Fery made his overseas Grand Slam main-draw debut at Melbourne Park. He played aggressively, moving Cobolli around the court and mixing net approaches with sharp groundstrokes.

Despite Cobolli struggling with a stomach issue—requiring a toilet break at the end of the first set and further medical attention in the third—Fery maintained his focus.

“I feel like it is [tennis]. It’s my job now,” Fery said. “I’ve been playing tennis a long time, so you learn to work around different styles and situations.”

The Londoner’s serve lacks the sheer power of some opponents, but his forehands and intelligent court movement made the difference.

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Family Support & Background

Fery, 23, grew up in a sporting family. His mother, Olivia, a former professional tennis player, flew to Melbourne to watch his debut. His father, Loic, owns Ligue 1 football club Lorient.

As a teenager, Fery chose a scholarship at Stanford University, studying science, technology, and society, which he says helped him prepare mentally and socially for the professional tour.

“Some guys are tennis players from 18. I was still in school, so now I feel tennis is my job,” he said.

Fery has previously shown a knack for beating 20th seeds, having ousted Alexei Popyrin at Wimbledon last year.

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What’s Next

Fery will face Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry, world number 61, in the second round. He now has three ATP Tour-level wins and two Grand Slam victories in his career.

Meanwhile, fellow Brit Cameron Norrie also advanced, defeating Benjamin Bonzi in five sets and setting up a second-round clash with American Emilio Nava.