Alexander Zverev’s performance at Wimbledon this year has gone decidedly under the radar, and yet now he finds himself just six sets away from winning the Channel Slam.
Given that just over a month ago he was widely seen as the best player to have never won a major, it’s incredible to think that he could soon have two to his name.
Arthur Fery will be desperate to prevent him from achieving this goal, and given how unprecedented his run has been thus far, it feels hard to bet against him.
That is, despite the British wildcard having started the tournament ranked outside the world’s top 100.
Do you believe Arthur Fery can win Wimbledon?
Alexander Zverev has been speaking about this rapid rise from the 23-year-old ahead of their semi-final clash on Friday.
He has also discussed the unique challenges that come with facing a British player on Centre Court.
Alexander Zverev recalls playing a British player on Wimbledon Centre Court
This will not be the first time that Zverev has had to play a Brit on the nation’s biggest tennis arena, having actually faced and beaten Cam Norrie there two years ago.
Asked if he will draw on any experience from such a performance, the German used this opportunity to recall the fairness of the British crowd, comparing them to the ‘tough’ and at times ‘unfair crowds’ he has had to face across his career.
Zverev stated: “I’m almost 30 years old. I’ve been on tour for long enough. I feel like I’ve seen the most hostile crowds, I’ve seen tough crowds, I’ve seen unfair crowds as well. I feel like I should know how to handle it; I’ve learned how to handle it. I’m okay with it.
“Again, I always feel like the English crowd here, especially in London, they’re always quite fair. Yes, they can be loud, they can be cheerful, but that’s okay. I don’t mind it at all.
“So yeah, I just look forward to a tough challenge in the semifinals of a slam.”
Fery has been told exactly how to beat Zverev by one pundit, but putting such a plan into action will be far more difficult in practice.
Why Arthur Fery can feel confident of beating Alexander Zverev at Wimbledon
First and foremost, Zverev will head into Friday’s Wimbledon semi-final knowing that he is the overwhelming favourite to emerge victorious.
However, whilst this obviously means he has a physical, technical and mental advantage, this can also create a unique psychological hurdle that will only increase in size should things not immediately go his way.
Fery, meanwhile, can swing freely knowing that what he has already accomplished defies belief.
Not only that, but players have clearly gone into matches with him across the last two weeks expecting to win and obviously failed. Grigor Dimitrov, Flavio Cobolli and even Zizou Bergs all would have been favourites, and all were toppled by the young Englishman.
How many more Grand Slams does Alexander Zverev win now?
What a final!
Zverev will hope not to fall victim to the same phenomenon.
This is a golden opportunity for Fery, particularly with the opponent he is set to face. Whilst he is the third-best player in the world, grass has never been his favourite surface. This is also the first Wimbledon semi-final of his career.
He will be a massive underdog, but that should suit him well.
Fery should still remain quietly confident of forging one more upset to reach the final, where truly anything can happen.
