Taylor Fritz fights her way into the quarterfinals of Wimbledon

Taylor Fritz celebrates after defeating Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-3 in the fourth round of Wimbledon in London on Monday. Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

LONDON – After Taylor Fritz delivered a backhand that Alexander Zverev couldn’t even follow, sealing the American’s comeback from a two-set deficit in the fourth round of Wimbledon on Monday, the men met at the net for a longer-than-usual conversation.

Zverev, who played with a bruised right knee, said he was bothered by the cheering from Fritz’s guest box in the fifth set. When Fritz tried to turn away, Zverev blocked his way with his chest and continued the largely one-sided exchange.

That wasn’t the 13th-seeded Fritz’s only notable post-match interaction at the All England Club in those two weeks – he did wish a previous opponent “a safe flight home” – but he shrugged it off and preferred to reflect on how he turned things around and beat two-time Grand Slam finalist Zverev 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals.

“It was incredible,” said Fritz, a 26-year-old Californian, “to do that on Centre Court at Wimbledon, two sets behind.”

Zverev later said that his problem was not with Fritz or his two coaches, but with other fans of the winners, “who perhaps do not come from the tennis world, who are perhaps not used to watching every single match; they exaggerated a bit.”

“He’s allowed to be annoyed if they were annoying. … That’s one of the things I asked him at the net: ‘Who was it?'” said Fritz, who next faces 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti, who is in his first Grand Slam quarterfinals. “It’s no big deal. It’s all good.”

Zverev was suggesting that his entourage should not be so nervous because his knee, which he had wrapped in a grey cuff after a fall in the previous round, had such a big impact on the outcome of Monday’s match.

“I played on one leg,” said Zverev. “It was pretty obvious that I wasn’t at 100% today, wasn’t it? I didn’t move the whole match. I didn’t run to drop shots. When I ran to drop shots, I was limping rather than running.”

The three-and-a-half-hour match, played under the roof of the main stadium, was the 35th to go to five sets at Wimbledon this year, equalling the record for most five-set matches at any Grand Slam tournament in the Open Era that began in 1968. Fritz’s comeback is the 11th from a two-set deficit in this edition of the grass-court tournament, more than in any other year.

For Fritz, it is the fourth quarterfinal at a major and the second at Wimbledon, where he lost to Rafael Nadal in 2022. At this point, the score is 0-3; he suffered the other two setbacks against Novak Djokovic.

“This will be my first quarter-final in which I am the more experienced player,” said Fritz.

Novak Djokovic celebrates after beating Holger Rune 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in their fourth round match at Wimbledon in London on Monday. Mosa’ab Eishamy/Associated Press

Fritz joins his good pal Tommy Paul in the last eight, making it the first time the U.S. has had two men this far in the tournament since 2000. In the other quarterfinal in the bottom half of the men’s draw, No. 9 Alex de Minaur will face seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic, who swept No. 15 Holger Rune 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in Monday night’s final match on Centre Court.

Spectators often made loud noises that sounded like “Ruuuuuune” – the young Dane is often greeted in this way during matches – but Djokovic thought the people in the stands were shouting “Bouuuu” and let them know he was not happy about it.

Musetti gave Italy three singles quarterfinalists at a major tournament for the first time – he made it with No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the men’s singles; No. 7 Jasmine Paolini is still in the women’s singles – by defeating Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2. De Minaur eliminated Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Winners of the women’s fourth round included 2022 champion Elena Rybakina, 21st seed Elina Svitolina – who wore a black ribbon on her shirt to mourn the victims of Russian missile attacks on her native Ukraine – and 2017 French Open champion Yelena Ostapenko. Rybakina will face Svitolina in the quarterfinals, and Ostapenko’s next opponent will be 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova.

Rybakina advanced when No. 17 Anna Kalinskaya stopped playing because of a wrist injury, Svitolina overwhelmed Wang Xinyu 6-2, 6-1, Krejcikova defeated No. 11 Danielle Collins 7-5, 6-3 and Ostapenko won 6-2, 6-3 against Yulia Putintseva, who defeated No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the third round.

Fourth-seeded Zverev finished runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open last month – after blowing a 2-1 lead in sets. Zverev also lost in the final of the 2020 US Open to Dominic Thiem – after blowing a two-set lead and a match point.

The German had won all nine sets he played at Wimbledon this year on Monday and had held all 41 of his service games at bay – he had not had a single break point since the first round.

The decisive statistic was this: Fritz collected four break points and converted two – one in the third and one in the fifth set – while he himself only conceded a break point once.

Fritz hit 15 aces without a single double fault and together they scored 124 winners (69 by Fritz) and 56 unforced errors (23 by Fritz).

In 2024, he is now 10-1 on grass and has won eight matches in a row, including a title at a preparatory event in Eastbourne the week before Wimbledon began.

“What I enjoy most about grass,” said Fritz, “is that you are rewarded every time you hit a good shot.”

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