Arthur Fery trails Lorenzo Musetti in live US Open opener
Arthur Fery trails 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti in their US Open first-round match on Tuesday 1 September 2026, dropping the opening set 6-3 before fighting on in the second on Grandstand court. Britain's number one is making his Flushing Meadows debut after a Wimbledon semi-final run in July, with BBC Sport live text and Radio 5 Live tracking every point.
Key Takeaways
- Lorenzo Musetti leads Arthur Fery after winning the first set 6-3 on US Open day three.
- Fery is playing his first US Open after missing last year, which he called painful.
- Double faults and unforced errors have hurt the British number one early against the Italian.
- William Hill tipped Musetti to win but expected Fery to take at least one set.
- BBC Radio 5 Live and live text are delivering real-time updates from Grandstand.
Why does Arthur Fery's US Open debut matter?
Arthur Fery arrives in New York as Britain's number one and one of the sport's fastest-rising stories of 2026. After an astonishing run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July, the Briton is contesting his first match at Flushing Meadows.
Speaking to The Times ahead of the tournament, Fery said missing last year was painful and that he is determined to prove his breakthrough was no fluke. That stakes-heavy narrative frames a first-round tie against a seasoned Grand Slam opponent on one of tennis's biggest stages.
How is the Fery vs Musetti match unfolding?
On BBC Sport's live tracker, Lorenzo Musetti seized control with an early break in the opening set, helped by costly double faults from Fery. The Italian closed out the first set 6-3 in about 33 minutes, with Fery going long on the final point.
Fery held serve to end Musetti's five-game streak early in the second set, but at that stage had not created a break point. Former doubles champion Mark Woodforde, on BBC Radio 5 Live, called the first set "messy" from Fery's end and noted the surprise at his serving struggles.
Yet Wimbledon offered a reminder that Fery is a fighter. With the second set level, the contest remained live on Grandstand as day three continued across the grounds.
What did experts predict before the match?
William Hill News tipped Lorenzo Musetti to win and both players to take a set, pricing that outcome at 11/8 for Tuesday's action. The preview noted Fery's run to the Winston-Salem final but also a straight-sets defeat to Alex De Minaur in Cincinnati's round of 32.
Musetti arrived after losses to Rafael Jódar and Frances Tiafoe in Cincinnati, though he was a 2026 Australian Open quarter-finalist and reached the last eight of the 2025 US Open. The bookmaker noted it had been a while since either man beat an opponent ranked as highly as the other with any regularity.
How can fans follow live scores and radio?
Real-time coverage sits at the heart of how modern audiences experience major tennis, and platforms like our Future Tech & AI Wonders hub track how streaming, live text and instant data reshape sports storytelling.
For this match, BBC Sport provides rolling text updates and scoreboards from Grandstand. UK listeners can also follow commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC 5 Sports Extra as Arthur Fery chases a comeback against Lorenzo Musetti.