Two men living out very different Wimbledon fairy tales will take to Centre Court on Monday.
When Britain’s Arthur Fery plays the biggest match of his life against Grigor Dimitrov, it will be the first time two wild cards have met in the fourth round at the All England Club.
For 23-year-old Fery, this is significant new ground, with his dramatic win over Zizou Bergs on Saturday both the longest match and the first five-set victory of his career in what was already his first trip to the third round at a grand slam.
It also secured him a spot in the top 100 for the first time and a place in the main draw at the US Open.
Dimitrov, meanwhile, has been to this stage 18 times before, including for the last three years here, but this one means more than most after last year’s heartbreak when, under the roof on Centre Court and leading Jannik Sinner by two sets to love, the Bulgarian tore his pectoral muscle and had to pull out.
Sinner went on to win the title while Dimitrov went into a tailspin from which he is only just recovering, with his ranking dipping as low as 170.
It was no surprise he was so emotional after battling to a five-set win over Matteo Berrettini on Saturday evening.
“Always I believe in destiny,” said Dimitrov. “The roof has been closing the last three matches.
“But, right now, we’re just living in the moment. I just want to keep that line going. I know it sounds a little bit cliche but really, the outcome for me, it becomes secondary right now.
“I think just falling in love again with the game and everything that I have gone through the past 12 months and all that, the magnitude of that, it’s way different for me.”
The only time Dimitrov has gone beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon came back in 2014 when he defeated Andy Murray to reach the semi-finals.
Asked if he could be a contender again this year, the 35-year-old said: “When you have a racket in your hand, everything is possible.
“It’s a great story, isn’t it? I don’t want to get ahead of myself on anything. But I’m just proud. I’m just proud that I’m able to handle myself the way that I’m doing it right now.”
While Fery is the higher-ranked player at 114, there is no doubt he is the underdog given Dimitrov’s pedigree.
The Bulgarian is wary of the young challenger, saying: “It’s not going to be an easy match. I have seen him play. He’s a great competitor. He’s playing at home. I mean, second week, Wimbledon, big court. I can totally get it.”
Fery has shown impressive poise throughout his run, handling persistent nosebleeds with maturity and fighting back from a set down in each of his three matches.
Against Bergs, he looked down and out twice, trailing 4-1 in the fourth and fifth sets, but it was the man playing just his ninth grand slam match who handled the occasion much the better.
After two matches on Court 18, he will make his Centre Court bow, and Fery said: “It’s going to be a great challenge for me.
“I’m looking forward to it. I feel confident in myself. I feel confident in the fact that I can rival (Dimitrov) and put a good performance in.”
