WIMBLEDON, England - Nothing stirs the champagne sipping, strawberry munching All England Club crowd quite like a British underdog story and that was evident again on Monday as Arthur Fery defied the odds to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

Fery, 23, already riding high after earning a Centre Court match as a wild card, raised his game further against Grigor Dimitrov to win 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6.

A hot summer afternoon began quietly as the heat drained the fans energy but it became one of those memorable occasions that this grand slam occasionally delivers.

Support started with scattered cheers of come on Arthur from some spectators while others checked Fery Wikipedia page on their phones to learn more. By the finish Fery held the thousands in the stands and on The Hill completely captivated.

Roger Federer the Wimbledon great watched from the Royal Box and sat just metres away when Fery broke Dimitrov to claim the opening set. Even then few expected a new if temporary champion named Arthur to emerge that evening.

It is incredible to have one of the greatest of all time watching you let alone watching you play a five set match against Dimitrov on Centre Court at Wimbledon a still amazed Fery said at his post match press conference.

As the sole British singles player left in the event the weight of national expectation might have been heavy yet he competed with a liberty that rescued him from what seemed a swift defeat.

After dropping the first set Dimitrov appeared ready to take control and wrapped up the second in just over thirty minutes as his experience told and the crowd quietened.

Fery challenged in the third but Dimitrov grew stronger and the former world number three brushed aside the resistance to win 6-4.

It was not only the clean play and strong serve that boosted Dimitrov but signs of strain also appeared for Fery.

Self talk and irritation began to surface. Dimitrov looked set to close out the fourth set while a break ahead yet a feeling lingered that the contest was not finished. Fery chose to fight back and surged into life just as he had on Saturday. He broke back and Dimitrov struggled to recover as errors increased.

The Briton capitalised fully on his more seasoned opponent taking the final two sets in impressive fashion. While Dimitrov returned to his chair in quiet disbelief after the fourth Fery shouted to the crowd pumped his fist and leapt with joy. He seized the moment fully.

Especially at the end when I was tiring physically and losing my legs a little I knew that Grigor was serving to stay in the match and the crowd would add pressure on him too perhaps Fery said.

But I was doing it mainly for myself to regain energy and draw the crowd in. Dimitrov remained competitive until the very last point.

The fifth set reached a tie break yet there was no stopping this latest chapter of the Fery tale.

A 10-7 victory sealed the comeback and ensured one of the most striking British tales at Wimbledon in recent years continues.