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.”
