Arthur Fery reaches first ATP Tour final after opponent retires in Winston-Salem Open

British tennis player Arthur Fery secured his first ATP Tour final appearance after his opponent, James Duckworth, retired due to injury during their semifinal match at the Winston-Salem Open.

Fery, who currently holds a career-high ranking of 33rd in the world, was leading 6-4, 2-1 when Duckworth called for a medical timeout after the first set. The Australian later withdrew from the match, granting Fery a walkover into his first ATP Tour final. The 24-year-old British player becomes the first Briton to reach the final of the ATP 250 event.

Fery's impressive run continues following his surprising performance at Wimbledon in July, where he reached the semifinals. His recent success has also propelled him to the top spot in British tennis, surpassing Cameron Norrie.

"I am really happy to be in the final," Fery said. "Not the way I wanted it to end at all. I hope James will get well soon and rest up for next week. But I am very happy to be through."

Fery will face Peru's Ignacio Buse in Saturday's final in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Buse, ranked 36th in the world, defeated France's Benjamin Bonzi 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 to advance to the final. Buse is aiming for his second title of the season, having previously won the ATP 500 event in Hamburg in May.

Eight weeks ago, Fery was ranked outside the top 100. His remarkable journey to the Wimbledon semifinals has since catapulted him into the spotlight. His maiden ATP final appearance against Buse comes ahead of the US Open, where he narrowly missed out on being seeded. Fery has been drawn against Italy's 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti in the opening round at Flushing Meadows in New York.

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