One of the biggest surprises of this year’s Wimbledon Championships continued Wednesday as British wildcard Arthur Fery powered into the men’s singles semifinals with a commanding straight-sets victory over ninth-seeded Flavio Cobolli.

Ranked No. 114 entering the tournament, Fery defeated the Italian 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-0 on Centre Court to extend a remarkable run that has captivated home fans. The 23-year-old will next face Alexander Zverev for a place in Sunday’s championship match.

Fery entered Wimbledon with only two career Grand Slam match victories and had yet to crack the ATP’s top 100 rankings. His breakthrough run has included dramatic five-set victories over Zizou Bergs and Grigor Dimitrov before his dominant quarterfinal performance against Cobolli.

After taking the opening set, Fery displayed poise under pressure by winning a tightly contested second-set tiebreak before overwhelming Cobolli in a one-sided third set. His aggressive shot-making, consistent serving and calm demeanor helped him become just the second men’s wildcard in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon semifinals, joining 2001 champion Goran Ivanišević.

The upset delighted the Centre Court crowd, which watched the local favorite produce the finest performance of his career only minutes from where he grew up.

The women’s draw also produced first-time semifinalists. Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk and the Czech Republic’s Linda Noskova both advanced to the final four for the first time at Wimbledon after impressive quarterfinal victories.

The Wimbledon Championships continue through the weekend, with the men’s and women’s singles semifinals setting the stage for the sport’s most prestigious finals at the All England Club.

Source: The Guardian