Taylor Fritz surpasses mother Kathy May's legacy, defeats Alexander Zverev to reach maiden Grand Slam SF at US Open 2024
Taylor Fritz has reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at the 2024 US Open, defeating fourth seed Alexander Zverev in a four-set thriller at Arthur Ashe Stadium. This remarkable achievement surpasses the 1978 US Open singles quarterfinal run of his mother, Kathy May, marking a significant milestone in Fritz’s career.
Kathy May Fritz, a former professional tennis player, reached a career-high ranking of World No. 10 in 1977. She made it to three Grand Slam quarterfinals, including the US Open in 1978 and the French Open in 1977 and 1978. Additionally, she reached the doubles quarterfinals twice at the US Open in 1978 and 1979.
At the 2024 US Open, Taylor Fritz’s performance has been nothing short of spectacular. The 12th-seeded American started his campaign with a convincing win against Camilo Ugo Carabelli in the first round, followed by victories over Matteo Berrettini, Francisco Comesana, and eighth seed Casper Ruud en route to the last eight, where he defeated Zverev 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3).
It has been 21 years since an American man won a Grand Slam singles title, with Andy Roddick being the last to achieve this feat at the 2003 US Open.
Taylor Fritz will face either Frances Tiafoe or Grigor Dimitrov in the US Open SF
Taylor Fritz is set to face either 20th seed Frances Tiafoe or ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov in the upcoming semifinal match at the US Open.
Tiafoe has had a decent run at the 2024 US Open, where he defeated fellow American Aleksandar Kovacevic, Alexander Shevchenko, and 13th seed Ben Shelton en route to the Round of 16. In the fourth round, Tiafoe defeated 28th seed Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-3, earning his third consecutive US Open quarterfinal berth.
Fritz and Tiafoe have faced each other seven times on the ATP Tour. The former leads their head-to-head record with six wins to Tiafoe’s one. Their most recent encounter was at the 2023 Acapulco quarterfinals, where Fritz won 6-3, 6-4.
Dimitrov, on the other hand, has also showcased his skills at the US Open, reaching the quarterfinals for the first time since 2019. The ninth-seeded Bulgarian cruised past Kyrian Jacquet, Rinky Hijikata, and Tallon Griekspoor en route to the fourth round, where he defeated sixth seed Andrey Rublev 6-3, 7-6 (3), 1-6, 3-6, 6-3.
Taylor Fritz and Grigor Dimitrov have faced each other thrice on the ATP Tour, with their head-to-head record standing at 2-1. The American won their most recent encounter in a three-set match at the 2024 Italian Open fourth round, 6-2, 6-7(11), 6-1.