Arthur Fery successfully navigated a rain delay and elite opposition to kickstart his LTA’s Rothesay Open Nottingham campaign with victory on Tuesday.
Wimbledon’s Fery, who is supported by the LTA’s NCAA Support Programme, was at one set all against former world No.21 Steve Johnson when play was halted in Nottingham on Monday due to rain, with action resuming with the Brit 1-2 down on serve in the decider.
The 20-year-old was in phenomenal form once play resumed, dropping just one game to beat his more experienced opponent 4-6 6-3 6-3 and book a second round date against fifth seed Dominik Koepfer.
It was a first win at Challenger level for the Brit, and he revealed afterwards that his focus was on asserting his dominance early on Tuesday – a tactic that ultimately proved a successful one.
“I slowly got into the groove of things and I managed to get it done in the end,” he said.
“I just focused on coming out strong today. It was a weird change of conditions yesterday, from sunny weather to sudden thunderstorms. I just tried to come out with a lot of energy today and it worked well.”
In recent years Fery has spent time playing collegiate tennis in America, though is now looking to start becoming a more regular fixture across the ATP and Challenger circuit.
He added: “I’ve spent three years playing college tennis in the US at Stanford University in California, so I’m trying to start working my way up the ATP rankings. It’s going to be a difficult journey but hopefully it will go well.
“I’ve played a few summers on the grass, so I’ve gained a little bit of experience as the years have gone by.
“Definitely it’s a different atmosphere and a different level, obviously you’re playing players consistently who are higher ranked, players like Steven every week – so it’s going to be a good transition.”
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