British qualifier Arthur Fery claimed another notable Grand Slam scalp by beating Italian 20th seed Flavio Cobolli to cause the first shock on day one of the Australian Open.
Fery, 23, matched the biggest win of his career, having also beat 20th seed Alexei Popyrin at Wimbledon last year, with a 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 6-1 victory in a sun-soaked Melbourne.
Cobolli was struggling physically from the start with a stomach issue, running off court at the end of the opening set for a toilet break.
“It seems I like drawing 20th seeds at Grand Slams,” Fery, who is ranked 185th in the world, joked afterwards.
“I love playing on big courts and big stages.”
Cobolli, 23, took electrolyte tablets provided by the doctor after going off court, then asked to see the medical staff again for a time-out after going 3-0 down in the third set.
Nevertheless, Fery deserves huge credit for the way he approached the situation on his main-draw debut at an overseas Grand Slam.
