Kathy May

Last updated
Kathy May
Full nameKathy May Fritz
Country (sports)Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Born (1956-06-18) June 18, 1956 (age 68)
Beverly Hills, California, USA
Height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) [1]
PlaysRight-handed [1]
Singles
Career record56–50
Career titles7
Highest rankingNo. 10 (July 3, 1977)
Grand Slam singles results
French Open QF (1977, 1978)
Wimbledon 4R (1977)
US Open QF (1978)
Doubles
Career record36–49
Career titles4
Grand Slam doubles results
French Open 2R (1977)
Wimbledon 3R (1974)
US Open QF (1978, 1979)

Kathy May Fritz (born June 18, 1956) is an American former professional tennis player. [2] She reached three Grand Slam quarterfinals, once at the US Open in 1978 and twice at the French Open in 1977 and 1978. She won seven WTA singles titles during her career, and achieved a career-high ranking of world no. 10 in 1977.

Contents

She also competed under the names Kathy May Teacher after her marriage in 1979 to tennis player Brian Teacher, and Kathy May-Paben. Her son Taylor Fritz is also a professional tennis player, and he was the 2015 ITF Junior World Champion.

Early and personal life

May was born and grew up in Beverly Hills, California. [3] She is the great-granddaughter of David May, founder of The May Department Stores Company [3] (now Macy's).

In 1979, she married fellow Californian player Brian Teacher, also a top 10 tennis player and the 1980 Australian Open champion; they subsequently divorced. [4] She married fireman Donn Paben in 1981 with whom she had two sons, and subsequently divorced. [5] [6] She later married Guy Fritz (brother of Harry Fritz), her third husband, and had her third son Taylor Fritz but she and Guy have since divorced. [7] [8] [9]

Tennis career

She reached three Grand Slam quarterfinals, once at the US Open in 1978 and twice at the French Open in 1977 and 1978. She won seven WTA singles titles during her career, and achieved a career-high ranking of world no. 10 in 1977.

She was coached by Tony Trabert. [10]

WTA Tour finals

Singles: 7 (7–0)

Winner - Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)
WTA Tour Championships (0–0)
Virginia Slims, Avon, Other (7–0)
Titles by surface
Hard (3–0)
Grass (1–0)
Clay (3–0)
Carpet (0–0)
OutcomeNo.DateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Winner1.September 17, 1973 Los Angeles Hard Flag of the United States.svg Lea Antonoplis 5–7, 6–1, 6–2
Winner2.April 22, 1974 Ojai Tennis Tournament Hard Flag of the United States.svg Susan Hagey 2–6, 6–0, 6–1
Winner3.May 6, 1974Los AngelesHard Flag of the United States.svg Lindsay Morse 6–4, 7–6
Winner4.August 19, 1974 Haverford Grass Flag of the United States.svg Barbara Jordan 6–3, 7–5
Winner5.March 17, 1975Pensacola, FloridaClay Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Ilana Kloss 5–7, 6–4, 7–6
Winner6.January 19, 1976Fort Myers, FloridaClay Flag of the United States.svg Ann Kiyomura 5–7, 6–3, 6–1
Winner7.September 8, 1976 Indianapolis Clay Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Brigitte Cuypers 6–4, 4–6, 6–2

Doubles: 7 (4–3)

Winner - Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)
WTA Tour Championships (0–0)
Virginia Slims, Avon, Other (4–3)
Titles by surface
Hard (3–2)
Grass (0–0)
Clay (1–1)
Carpet (0–0)
OutcomeNo.DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Winner1.May 7, 1973Los AngelesHard Flag of the United States.svg Marita Redondo Flag of the United States.svg Lindsay Morse
Flag of the United States.svg Jean Nachand
6–4, 6–0
Winner2.September 17, 1973 Los Angeles Hard Flag of the United States.svg Marita Redondo Flag of the United States.svg Laurie Tenney
Flag of the United States.svg Robin Tenney
6–3, 7–5
Runner-up1.May 6, 1974Los AngelesHard Flag of the United States.svg Maricaye Christenson Flag of the United States.svg Lea Antonoplis
Flag of the United States.svg Susan Hagey
6–3, 6–4
Winner3.July 8, 1974Raleigh, North CarolinaClay Flag of the United States.svg Rayni Fox Flag of the United States.svg Lindsay Morse
Flag of the United States.svg JoAnne Russell
5–7, 6–4, 6–2
Winner4.September 16, 1974 Los Angeles Hard Flag of the United States.svg Susan Hagey Flag of the United States.svg Dodo Cheney
Flag of the United States.svg Cynthia-Ann Thomas
6–2, 6–4
Runner-up2.August 18, 1975 South Orange Clay Flag of the United States.svg Kathleen Harter Flag of the United States.svg Kristien Shaw
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Greer Stevens
w/o
Runner-up3.November 21, 1978 Tokyo Hard (i) Flag of the United States.svg Tracy Austin Flag of the United States.svg Martina Navratilova
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Betty Stöve
6–4, 6–7, 3–6

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

Key
W F SFQF#RRRQ#DNQANH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
Tournament 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 Career SR
Australian Open AAAAAAAAA0 / 0
French Open AAA 3R QF QF 2R A0 / 4
Wimbledon A 2R 3R 2R 4R 3R 3R 2R 0 / 7
US Open 1R A 3R 2R 1R QF 4R 2R 0 / 7
SR0 / 10 / 10 / 20 / 30 / 30 / 30 / 30 / 20 / 18
Year-end ranking5719211519130

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Bostic, Stephanie, ed. (1979). USTA Player Records 1978. United States Tennis Association (USTA). p. 220.
  2. Jim Bainbridge (1978). 1978 Colgate Series Media Guide. New York: H.O. Zimman Inc. p. 88.
  3. 1 2 The Making of America's Next Great Tennis Talent
  4. "The Australian Open Champion Who Almost Wasn't - Book Excerpt From 'The Greatest Jewish Tennis Players of All Time,'" World Tennis Magazine.
  5. Katherine May - Free Marriage & Vital Records
  6. World Tennis
  7. "Dad at 19: A young tennis star turning heads, raising eyebrows," The Economic Times.
  8. Is Taylor Fritz The Next American Tennis Star?
  9. "BNP Paribas Open: Taylor and Guy Fritz have come full circle, with the younger Fritz playing his best tennis".
  10. "Kathy May Hands Wade Upset Loss". Spokane Daily Chronicle. AP. January 5, 1978. p. 34.