Fery exits US Open in first round to Musetti

Arthur Fery's US Open debut ended in the first round on Tuesday, as the British number one was defeated in straight sets by 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy. The match, played on Grandstand Stadium at Flushing Meadows, concluded with Musetti winning 6-3, 6-3, 7-5. Fery, 24, arrived in New York riding a wave of confidence following a historic run to the Wimbledon semifinals as a wildcard earlier in the summer. That performance catapulted him from outside the top 100 to a current ranking of 33 in the world. He also reached his first ATP Tour final at the Winston-Salem Open the previous week. Despite this momentum, he was unable to overcome the experienced Musetti, who controlled the match with his versatile game and trademark one-handed backhand. The match began after a rain delay on the tournament's third day, with Fery struggling to find his rhythm on serve. He gifted Musetti an early break with back-to-back double faults, allowing the Italian to take the opening set. Fery had opportunities to break back, notably squandering four break points in the second set, but could not convert.