By all tangible measures, Arthur Fery should not be in a Wimbledon semi-final.
The 23-year-old was given a wildcard into his home Grand Slam, having been ranked 114th in the world before the start of the tournament.
Fery had never gone beyond the second round at one of the sport’s major tournaments, while this is only his fifth appearance at a Grand Slam.
But, with each remarkable victory, he is rewriting history at the All England Club.
“This is one of the best feel-good sports stories of the year,” Australia’s former Wimbledon doubles champion Todd Woodbridge said on BBC TV.
“I’m not even British and I’m feeling that emotion!
“You just don’t want Arthur Fery to wake up because he is just playing such extraordinary tennis.”
Not since Goran Ivanisevic’s memorable run to the title has a wildcard reached this heady stage of Wimbledon.
The Croat delivered one of the the sport’s most unforgettable moments 25 years ago by going on to win the title at SW19.
Fery is also the lowest-ranked player to make Wimbledon’s last four since Ivanisevic in 2001.
But, as he continues to captivate a nation on the tournament’s centre stage, just a short walk from where he grew up, this Fery-tale run does not appear bound by precedent.
“The man who grew up so close to Centre Court now seems to own it,” said BBC commentator Andrew Cotter.
On Wednesday, in scorching afternoon heat, Fery’s sensational Wimbledon soared to even greater heights as he dismantled world number 10 and French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli in straight sets.
He dropped to the ground, almost in slow motion, as close to 15,000 supporters erupted in celebration and began chanting his name.
They were scenes his younger self could only have dreamed of when he would visit Wimbledon to watch matches as a child.
“For someone that, totally unexpectedly, has made it this far, the moment hasn’t seemed to overwhelm him in any matches,” said seven-time Grand Slam singles champion John McEnroe.
“For Cobolli, just to give in that way tells you something about the level he was playing at. This guy’s just got to the French Open final. He went away because of what he was feeling from Fery’s side.
“That is the part that has amazed me most. It’s like the other guys are more wound up and nervous than Fery is, even today.”
Fery achieved his latest, most impressive win to date in a style at complete odds with the journey that had taken him there.
He dropped the opening set in his first two matches and then required match tie-breaks to overcome Zizou Bergs and Grigor Dimitrov in five-set thrillers.
Having twice been a set and a break down against Bergs in the third round – including going 4-1 down in the fifth set – he also had to take three medical timeouts after suffering a nosebleed.
Making his first appearance on Centre Court, he twice went a break down in a must-win fourth set against Dimitrov, before the 35-year-old Bulgarian’s own nerves appeared and Fery capitalised.
But, at two hours and 14 minutes, his match against Cobolli was his shortest of the tournament so far.
Fery has spent 16 hours and 20 minutes on court in total – his match against Bergs lasted four hours and 39 minutes alone – yet he showed no sign of fatigue against his Italian opponent.
Roared on throughout by a partisan crowd, Fery demonstrated unshakeable composure as he picked apart the below-par Cobolli, who lost June’s French Open final to Alexander Zverev in five sets and made the last eight at Wimbledon last year.
“What I’ve been so impressed with is Fery’s belief,” added former British number one Tim Henman.
“When you go out on Centre Court for the first time and you are a British player, you have the hopes and expectations of a lot of people on your shoulders.
“He has good tennis IQ, he is a phenomenal mover. The way he has handled the occasion is impeccable. When opportunities have been earned, he has taken them.
“For him to produce a performance like that against a Grand Slam finalist, given that the first two sets were so tight and such high quality, it was absolutely sensational.
“It will just go even further to enhance his inner belief that he can keep winning in this tournament.”
Fery will now turn his attention to an upset even more monumental than the last.
Germany’s world number three Zverev, who ended his wait for a first major title in Paris, awaits on Friday.
The big-hitting 29-year-old, now free from his tag as arguably the best men’s player never to win a Grand Slam, produced a dominant display to defeat American Taylor Fritz and reach his first Wimbledon semi-final.
Seven-time Grand Slam doubles champion Jamie Murray said: “Fery will have the unknown factor against Zverev. He needs to use that to his advantage.
“I’m sure Zverev will have seen him play a bit this week, but it is different to actually being on the court and facing him.
“He won’t know how the ball comes off the racquet or the different problems that he possesses.”
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