Arthur Fery's hopes of landing his maiden ATP Tour title at Winston-Salem Open was ended in emphatic fashion by Peruvian Ignacio Buse on Saturday.
From 3-3 in the first set, Fery lost six straight games before eventually going down 6-3 6-2 to Buse.
The promising 22-year-old clinched his second trophy of the season having lifted his maiden tour-level trophy at the ATP 500 event in Hamburg.
Fery was aiming to add to his already memorable season having reached the and he is set for a new career high Monday.
With his spot in the Winston-Salem final, 24-year-old Fery has moved up to a new career high of No 33 in the live rankings, overtaking Cameron Norrie as the British No 1 in doing so.
Eight weeks ago, Fery was outside the top 100.
"Congratulations to you and your team, Ignacio, for your second title this year," Fery said during the trophy ceremony. "I want to thank my team as well. It couldn't be us today but thank you for everything you do for me. We have had a great year and hopefully we can finish strong."
Speaking to Your Site, former British No 1 Tim Henman said he has been impressed with Fery's showing in North Carolina.
Fery, who is set to make his main draw debut at the US Open starting on Sunday, .
"He's had a great week, but that's his level," said Henman. "On the back of making the semi-finals at Wimbledon, he's a top 30 player, so getting through to the final of tour events and hopefully winning them is what he's about now.
"Yes, he has a tough match against Musetti. He goes into that match as a clear underdog but he's confident."
Buse delivered a composed performance to secure his triumph in just 77 minutes, with Fery unable to match the relentless pace.
"It is very special for me," Buse said in his post-match interview. "With all my team, we have been working very, very hard. Some things are very tough that we go through as tennis players, but I also want to congratulate Arthur and his team."
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