GB's Fery into first ATP Tour final as opponent retires

Arthur Fery, a 24-year-old British tennis player, secured his first ATP Tour final berth after his opponent, James Duckworth, retired due to injury in the semi-final of the Winston-Salem Open. The match, which saw Fery leading 6-4 2-1, ended prematurely when Duckworth called for a medical timeout following the first set. This marks Fery as the first Briton to reach the final of an ATP 250 event, following his unexpected success at Wimbledon's semi-finals in July.

Currently ranked 33rd globally, Fery has also claimed the position of British number one, surpassing fellow countryman Cameron Norrie.

Expressing his happiness, Fery said, "I am really happy to be in the final. 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 Ignacio Buse in Saturday's final in North Carolina. The 22-year-old Argentine, currently ranked 36th in the world, defeated France's Benjamin Bonzi 6-2 4-6 6-1. Buse will be seeking his second title of the season after his victory over Tommy Paul at the ATP 500 event in Hamburg in May. Notably, Buse was outside the top 100 only eight weeks ago, prior to Fery's remarkable journey to Wimbledon's semi-finals.

Fery's maiden ATP final appearance against Buse precedes the US Open, where he narrowly missed out on a seeding. In the upcoming US Open, Fery faces Italian 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti in the opening round.