WIMBLEDON, London -- The numbers help paint a picture of Arthur Fery's chaotic afternoon on Saturday.
Court 18 in SW19.
4-1 down in the fourth and fifth sets.
A 10-5 victory in the tie-break.
Three stoppages for nosebleeds.
Four hours, 38 minutes, on court.
One Brit through to the second week of Wimbledon.
As the only British singles player (men's or women's) left standing going into the match, the question was raised if he could be on Centre Court or Court 1 against Zizou Bergs. In truth, the more intimate setting of Court 18 was the perfect venue for Fery to stun Bergs 2-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10/5) in the most dramatic way.
There's something magic about Court 18, where John Isner and Nicolas Mahut played the longest match in tennis history in 2010.
The smaller crowd made their voices heard in the compact amphitheatre, where those inside would have been pleased with their reward for braving the long queue in the searing London sun. They witnessed not only a great match, but a Wimbledon milestone -- Fery is the first British wildcard to reach the fourth round since 1993.
Alexander Zverev and Marcos Giron were even briefly interrupted by the bellowing British fans over on Centre Court. A huge cheer went up as Zverev served. He faulted and looked around, slightly bemused at the noise, adding to the charm of Fery's achievement.
The Brit had finally given home fans something to smile about. He was down, then out, then back, then down, then back again to win it in possibly the most clutch way possible: With a 10-5 tie-break when he appeared to grow in confidence and Bergs faltered when it counted. Not only that, but it was his first ever five-set victory in the longest match of his career.
Not a bad way to mark the occasion.
Fery, 23, was genuinely lost for words when interviewed on court, struggling to articulate what he had just done in the immediate aftermath. A short while and possibly a quiet tear or two later, he just about found the words in his post-match news conference.
"I was just trying to back my fighting spirit and use that to my advantage and just try and base my whole game around that," Fery said. "Just keep going ... I knew that he maybe could get a little shaky when he was getting close to winning the match, as well.
"I don't think he's made the fourth round of a slam either. Just trying to keep fighting, keep calm, and just play."
As for the nosebleeds, perhaps they were brought on by the new heights he has reached, but he isn't entirely sure why they happen.
"It happened a few times in the match today, and the other day as well," he said. "I can't do much about it. There are times where it breaks my momentum, as well ... I can obviously understand it's frustrating for the opponent as well to constantly have to wait."
- Serena Williams (knee) forced to withdraw from Wimbledon doubles
- Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina upset in Wimbledon third round
As for Court 18? Fery concedes it's time to move on to bigger and better things.
"I'll keep those great memories on 18 from today and Thursday for the rest of my life," he said.
"I'm sure I'll play again on there at some point. We'll see what Monday holds for me."