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To say Taylor Fritz is on a roll at Wimbledon would be an understatement. The 24-year-old American is yet to drop a set after four rounds, seeing off Australia's Jason Kubler 6-3. 6-1, 6-4 to romp into the quarterfinals.
Making his 24th Grand Slam main draw appearance, Fritz has crossed the fourth-round hurdle for the first time. After needing two tiebreaks to navigate the first three rounds, Fritz put in his best performance of the week, dropping only eight games.
He has now joined his illustrious compatriot Andy Roddick (2007) as the only American player in the last 15 years to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals without dropping a set.
A delighted Fritz said in his on-court interview that a maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal is a 'big deal'. He was particularly happy to accomplish the feat on his country's Independence Day.
“A first Grand Slam quarter-final, it’s a really big deal,” said Fritz. “To be a part of the final eight, and I’m glad I could get the win on the fourth of July, being an American. It’s great, being in my first quarter-final, it just shows that all the hard work I’m putting in is paying off.”
"There’s not really any secrets; it’s just a lot of time and hard work that I’ve put in" - Taylor Fritz
Taylor Fritz is having one of his career-best seasons this year. After reaching the fourth round at a Major for the first time at the Australian Open, Fritz ended Rafael Nadal's perfect 20-0 start to the year in Indian Wells to win his first Masters 1000 title. That win catapulted the American into the top 15 of the ATP rankings.
After making two quarterfinals on clay, Fritz endured a couple of early exits on grass before winning his second Eastbourne title. He continued that form at Wimbledon, seeing off Lorenzo Musetti, Alastair Gray, Alex Molcan and Jason Kubler to move into the last eight.
After beating Kuber, he said that the secret to his good results, especially on grass, is down to hard work.
“There’s not really any secrets, it’s just a lot of time and hard work that I’ve put in,” said Fritz. “I started to kind of find my game at the end of last year, and I’ve been building and working, doing the right things, and it’s good to see that it’s paying off.”
Taylor Fritz will play two-time Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal on Wednesday for a place in the last four.
