GB's Fery beaten in his first ATP Tour final

Arthur Fery was defeated in his first ATP Tour final, dropping a straight‑set match 6‑3, 6‑2 to Ignacio Buse at the Winston‑Salem Open in North Carolina. The 24‑year‑old Briton, who had reached the Wimbledon semi‑finals just eight weeks earlier and was then ranked outside the top 100, became the first British player to contest the final of an ATP 250 event held in the state. As a result of the runner‑up finish, Fery is projected to climb to world No. 33, overtaking Cameron Norrie as Britain’s highest‑ranked male player. The opening set remained competitive until Buse secured a love‑game break to move ahead 5‑3, which he held to take the set. In the second set, Buse extended his advantage with a triple break lead. Although Fery managed to reclaim one of those breaks, Buse responded by winning three consecutive games to seal the victory. For the 22‑year‑old Peruvian, the triumph marks his second career title and makes him the youngest ever champion of the Winston‑Salem Open. Buse previously captured an ATP 500 crown by defeating Tommy Paul in Hamburg last May. With little time to reflect on his North Carolina run, Fery will travel to New York for the US Open, which begins on Sunday. It will be his debut at Flushing Meadows, where he is slated to face 13th‑seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the opening round. Fery is one of nine British players scheduled to appear in the main draws of the season’s final Grand Slam. Joining him on the men’s side are Cameron Norrie, Jan Choinski, qualifiers Toby Samuel and Harry Wendelken, and lucky‑loser Jacob Fearnley. In the women’s draw, Katie Boulter is accompanied by qualifiers Fran Jones and Harriet Dart, while Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu are absent due to injury.