Danielle Collins tried to predict an early ATP upset at the Tennis Channel desk yesterday. She candidly admitted that thinking of one for the men’s side was “tough.” Hours later, fate came with a ruthless surprise. The Australian Open delivered its first shock as 20th seed Flavio Cobolli fell to a British qualifier. 

Arthur Fery beat Cobolli 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 6-1 on the John Cain Arena. Fery controlled key moments and closed the contest confidently.

Cobolli later admitted he was not feeling well. The 23-year-old called the doctor after just three games. The on-court discussion included a mention of “diarrhoea.”

Fery has already claimed two of his three tour-level victories at Slam events. Last year at Wimbledon, the then-No. 461 stunned Alexei Popyrin in the opening round. Coincidentally, Popyrin was the 20th seed, the same seed Fery recently ousted at the AO.

A former two-time ITA All-American at Stanford University, Fery showcased superb shot-making throughout his two-hour, 12-minute match. He converted six of his 10 break-point chances with precision and composure.

However, Cobolli struggled to find rhythm after taking a timeout. He could not counter Fery’s fearless baseline play at John Cain Arena.

Even during the match, at 3-3 in the first set, Cobolli faced a break point. He requested a video replay, believing Fery had touched the net mid-rally. If correct, the point would have gone to Cobolli.

There was a delay at the arena as the video review system took time to activate. Both players had to wait. When the replay was finally shown, the umpire ruled that Fery only touched the net after the rally ended. The point was awarded to him, giving him the break.

A few minutes later, Fery called for a VAR review himself. Cobolli had underarm served, and Fery claimed a ball kid was moving at the back of the court.

“When I asked for the video replay, I knew the ball kid was still running, so it was worth the wait,” Fery later reflected on the decision.

Cobolli was instrumental in his country’s third consecutive Davis Cup title last November. He clinched the final victory against Spain and saved seven match points against Belgium’s Zizou Bergs in the semi-finals.

The 23-year-old was playing his third match of the 2026 season. He went 1-1 at the United Cup, beating Stan Wawrinka in three sets before losing to Arthur Rinderknech 6-7 (4), 7-6(5), 7-5 in a three-hour, 21-minute battle.

Fery, who began the AO ranked a career-high No. 185 in the ATP Rankings, now aims to build on his momentum against Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the next round. Right after the previous match, the British qualifier shared his raw thoughts on the massive upset. 

Arthur Fery admits relishing the big stage after stunning 20th seeded Italian opponent

Arthur Fery was born to French parents with backgrounds in finance and sport. His mother, Olivia, is a former professional tennis player who also worked as a business development manager for the Lawn Tennis Association. His father, Loic, owns Ligue 1 football club Lorient.

Olivia flew to Melbourne on Saturday to watch her son make his AO debut. Fery says that having parents who understand professional sport has been a huge benefit.

“It seems I like drawing 20th seeds at Grand Slams, Fery joked. “I love playing on big courts and big stages.”

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Fery, who stands 5-foot-9, also praised his parents for their ongoing support.

“It is important to recognise their help, not only now that I’m having success but also in the bad times in the past two years,” Fery reflected. “It’s been a long journey.”

Injuries have slowed the 23-year-old’s progress. Fery suffered a bruised bone in his arm, similar to the injury that affected British No. 1 Jack Draper. His breakthrough was also delayed because he chose to pursue his studies. 

But now, as Fery advances to the second round, the question is whether the Brit can beat Etcheverry on January 21, who defeated Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic in five sets.