Arthur Fery defeated Damir Dzumhur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 in a controversial first-round match at Wimbledon.
Early in the second set, Dzumhur lost a point on his serve that he believed should have been a let.
The Bosnian questioned Fery at the net, telling him to be honest in a tense exchange, before Dzumhur turned his attention to the umpire, Greg Allensworth, calling him ‘bad’.
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Taking full advantage of Dzumhur’s outburst, Fery blocked out the noise, literally and figuratively, securing the win in four sets, and has now shared what he said to his opponent during the match.
Arthur Fery told Damir Dzumhur to stop staring at him during their Wimbledon clash
During his post-match press conference, Fery delivered his verdict on Dzumhur’s behaviour.
“I mean, it was expected, to be honest. He does that with everyone,” said Fery.
“Yeah, I guess I was just ready for it before the match. I mean, if it’s a let, it’s a let for everyone, right? It’s not just a let for him. Whether the point carries on or not, it’s the same for both of us.
“He obviously wants to make a problem with the ref, with the umpire, and then is trying to speak to me about it. But, I mean, there is nothing to really speak about. Yeah, just trying to get the other player involved for no reason.”
Fery put in his earplugs during Dzumhur’s tirade, and has now explained why he chose to do so.
“I have been doing it for a while now. I don’t use them every match. It helps me, as well,” he said.
“Not just for the opponent, but just in general for the crowd, and keeps me in my zone.”
Fery was later asked if he remembered what he said to Dzumhur.
“I mean, I was trying to stay out of it, to be honest,” he said.
“And then again, we know with Dzumhur that he does that. It’s one of his ways of maybe getting himself fired up.
“But, yeah, no, he was just staring at me. I said, Well, stop staring at me, something along those lines. Yeah, but nothing more. Nothing more.
“He knows he’s in the wrong when he does these things. I think deep down he knows he’s in the wrong.
“No, just trying to make sure that it doesn’t affect my emotional state. Yeah, just keep going with my match.”
Dzumhur eventually quietened down, just as Fery approached the finish line.
Arthur Fery vs Damir Dzumhur – Match stats
| Stats | Arthur Fery | Damir Dzumhur |
| Aces | 6 | 0 |
| Double faults | 2 | 5 |
| 1st Serve % | 60% | 67% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 66% | 45% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 64% | 63% |
| Break points | 8/14 | 3/9 |
“I felt like at some point he was also getting physically and mentally tired, and then he just stopped talking, because he didn’t have the energy to do that, as well,” said Fery.
“I was just trying to focus on myself and block out all the noise, and that’s the best way to deal with those kinds of situations.”
Not allowing himself to be distracted by Dzumhur, Fery can now look forward to his second-round match, against a different opponent than he would have expected…
Arthur Fery’s chances of making a deep run at Wimbledon boosted by shock Ben Shelton defeat
The British number three will play Finland’s Otto Virtanen in the second round of Wimbledon.
Fery would have expected to play the fourth seed Ben Shelton, before he lost to Virtanen in a five-set thriller.
Ranked above Virtanen, walking on court with the home crowd cheering him on, you would have to say Fery is the favourite for their second-round match.
The 23-year-old has never reached the third round of Wimbledon before, but with the draw opening up for him, now might be his time to shine.
Fery will play Virtanen for a spot in the third round on Thursday, July 2.