Mum's glad she made the Fery journey

ARTHUR

- By ELEANOR CROOKS

Arthur Fery of Great Britain celebrates winning his first round match against Flavio Cobolli of Italy

(RACHEL BACH/SHUTTERSTOCK)

Fery was happy his mum's last-minute dash across the world was not in vain after he posted another statement grand slam win on his Australian Open debut.The 23-year-old Londoner came through qualifying without dropping a set and impressed hugely on John Cain Arena in a 7-6 (1) 6-4 6-1 victory against an out-of-sorts Flavio Cobolli, who was struggling with stomach problems.

The win comes six months after Fery toppled 20th seed Alexei Popyrin on home soil at Wimbledon, so being paired with the equivalent player here could have been considered a good omen.

While Fery’s father and siblings watched in the early hours back home, his mother Olivia, herself a former professional tennis player, decided to make the trip to Melbourne after his final qualifying win.