Arthur Fery to make US Open debut against 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti

British men's number one Arthur Fery begins his senior US Open campaign at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday, when he meets Italian 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti in the first round. The 24-year-old, ranked 33rd in the world, arrives in New York after a run to the Wimbledon semi-finals.

A year ago Fery was watching the tournament from the outside, having only just returned inside the world's top 300 after winning an ATP Challenger event in Colombia. He said: "It's a little bit painful seeing all the guys your age who you were playing with in juniors playing the US Open - and you're playing Challengers." The Wimbledon breakthrough and a first-time ATP Tour final have since altered his standing on tour.

Fery's debut at ATP Masters level produced a win over Australia's James Duckworth at the Cincinnati Open before he was beaten by world number eight Alex de Minaur. He then travelled to North Carolina and finished runner-up at the ATP 250 event in Winston-Salem, losing to higher-ranked Peruvian Ignacio Buse in Saturday's final; Fery noted, "It was a very positive week for me. Obviously there is nowhere near as much attention as the Slams and big ATP events, but I've got to remind myself that its not a normal thing yet to make ATP 250 finals." He added that fatigue affected his final: "I wasn't really happy with my match in the final, but it was a long week and first time I'd played five matches in five days in a very long time."

After Wimbledon Fery took a month off the tour, cancelling a planned holiday to Greece and instead joining a rearranged trip to Spain that included time on the golf course. He said: "I was able to get some time off with friends and family, go on holiday and enjoy the success I'd had with them." He described the break as valuable for his mindset: "I'm happy with taking that amount of time off and even though I had to practise a little bit longer to get back into the flow of things, it was really worth it - mainly from a mental standpoint."

Fery narrowly missed out on a seeded position at the US Open, leaving him exposed to a difficult first-round draw and the prospect of facing a leading player immediately. His opponent, Musetti, is a 25-year-old who reached the New York quarter-finals last year, has advanced further at both the French Open and Wimbledon in recent seasons and made the Australian Open last eight in January. A thigh injury ruled Musetti out of the French Open and Wimbledon, but he showed signs of form with runs to the Washington and Cincinnati quarter-finals.

Addressing the draw, Fery said: "Some weeks you get good draws, some weeks you get tougher draws - it is how it is. I missed out by one spot on a seeded position and then I draw the 13th seed - it's a bit unfortunate but some things go your way and some things don't." He added: "I still feel I have my chances in that match-up if I prepare and play well."

Questions have been raised about the 5ft 9in Londoner's stature on a tour where taller players often succeed, but Lawn Tennis Association performance director Michael Bourne defended Fery's profile. Bourne said: "I don't think Arthur's height has to be something which we sit here and worry about," adding, "He has great ball speed – whether off the ground or from the serve, he's an amazing decision-maker and a very good athlete. He's earned the right for us not to put a ceiling on him. He's a talented young man and there is a lot to be excited about - let's see how far he can go."

Fery's next confirmed fixture is the first-round match against Lorenzo Musetti on Tuesday at the US Open, the start of his senior Grand Slam campaign in New York.