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 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.
“He is in the biggest semi-final in tennis,” Ivanisevic told BBC 5 Live.
“He just has to keep enjoying it. Once you stop enjoying, that is not good. He is in the perfect position with the whole country behind him.
“He is a great player with a bright future. So enjoy it, take the crowd and just play good tennis.”
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.
