Lorenzo Musetti Ousts Arthur Fery 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in US Open First Round

Arthur Fery’s maiden US Open main draw appearance ended in a straight-sets defeat to 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti on Tuesday afternoon.

Lorenzo Musetti secured a 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Arthur Fery on Tuesday to advance into the second round of the US Open. The Italian 13th seed required exactly two hours and nine minutes to eliminate the 21-year-old Briton, who was making his debut at the Flushing Meadows major. Despite Fery entering the hard-court event at a career-high ranking of world No. 33, he fell to the former Roland Garros quarterfinalist who utilized serves exceeding 130mph to maintain control throughout the opening two frames.

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Statistical data from the first set shows the momentum shifted when Fery committed consecutive double faults, handing the Italian a critical break and a 4-3 lead. Musetti capitalized on this lapse, breaking again two games later to close out the set 6-3. The second set followed a nearly identical trajectory, with the higher-ranked player capitalizing on unforced errors to establish a 4-2 cushion that he successfully converted into another 6-3 scoreline. Musetti effectively exploited his height advantage, deploying a high-bouncing backhand lob and kick serves that consistently rose above the 5ft 9in Briton’s shoulders.

Following tactical bathroom breaks for both competitors, Fery initiated a spirited comeback attempt in the third set by breaking Musetti’s serve to lead 2-0, aided by a rare backhand mistake from the Italian. However, the British wildcard was unable to consolidate the advantage and soon trailed 4-2 as the 13th seed regained his rhythm. Fery, who reached the Wimbledon semifinals in July, displayed significant resilience by saving a match point while trailing 5-3. He successfully broke back to level the score at 5-5, momentarily stalling the Italian's progress and forcing a tense conclusion to the match.

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Musetti admitted to experiencing physical tension during the closing stages of the contest, noting that he was visibly shaking while attempting to serve for the match at 5-4. After failing to convert his initial match point with a poor passing shot, he regained composure to break Fery’s serve for a 6-5 lead. The Italian then served out the match to love to secure his spot in the next round. This victory marked a significant return for Musetti, who had previously missed both the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this season due to a persistent thigh injury.

Fery arrived in New York following his first ATP Tour final appearance in Winston-Salem last weekend, where he narrowly missed out on a seeded position by a single ranking spot. Musetti, who noted he was not playing his best tennis or feeling the ball perfectly, credited his mental focus for navigating the difficult third set. The Italian will now face Australian wildcard Dane Sweeney in the second round. Fery’s loss concludes his first tournament appearance since his successful run at Wimbledon earlier this summer, leaving him to focus on the upcoming Asian swing.

The match statistics highlighted the disparity in power, as Musetti struck 34 winners compared to Fery's 19. The Italian also won 78% of his first-serve points, preventing the Briton from generating consistent pressure on return. Fery struggled with his second serve throughout the afternoon, winning only 41% of those points, which allowed Musetti to step inside the baseline and dictate play with his signature one-handed backhand. Despite the straight-sets result, the final set lasted 58 minutes, accounting for nearly half of the total match duration. Fery saved four of the nine break points he faced, but his 32 unforced errors proved too costly against a top-15 opponent.