The crowd at Wimbledon isn’t known to be boisterous, but it sure will be on Friday morning when British wildcard entry Arthur Fery takes on the No. 2 seed in the semifinals.
Fery is just the second wildcard in the Open Era to make it to the final four at Wimbledon, and the first since Goran Ivanisevic won the title in 2001.
Only one Brit (Andy Murray in 2013) has won the Men’s Championship at Wimbledon since 1936.
Zverev, who is just a month removed from his maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open, is a prohibitive -740 favorite to disappoint the crowd and end Fery’s Cinderella run.
Arthur Fery vs. Alexander Zverev odds, prediction
There isn’t much guesswork when it comes to talent and the tale of the tape in this match. Zverev is one of the best players on the planet, and he has been for the better part of the last five years. Fery is in the form of his life and will rise up to No. 36 in the world rankings even if he loses this match, but he’s nowhere near the level of Zverev.
That said, there are reasons to believe that the Brit can come out on top in this tilt.
For all of his talents, Zverev tends to be his own worst enemy in big moments. Perhaps he slayed those demons when he finally broke through at Roland Garros, but he’ll be playing in a cauldron at the All England Club on Friday morning, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see the 29-year-old come unglued amidst the fervor of the crowd.
If this match stays on the rails, Fery stands very little chance. Zverev has been terrific throughout the fortnight, and is coming off an imperious victory against Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals. He defeated No. 13 seed Jiri Lehecka in four sets in the previous round.
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Fery’s swatted aside some notable opponents, most recently French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli, but he’s yet to face someone of Zverev’s stature.
Still, I like the Brit’s chances of hanging around in this match. Any time that Zverev feels stress, the crowd will lean in and apply even more pressure, and the Hamburg native has shown he’s vulnerable in those moments.
It may not be enough for Fery to get over the line, but I do think he will make Zverev work for this.
The Play: Both players to win a set (-120, FanDuel)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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