Kathy May

{{Infobox tennis biography

|name = Kathy May

|image =

|caption =

|fullname = Kathy May Fritz

|itf_name =

|country = {{USA}}

|residence =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|6|18}}

|birth_place = Beverly Hills, California, USA

|death_date =

|death_place =

|height = {{height|ft=5|in=8}}{{cite book|editor1-last=Bostic|editor1-first=Stephanie|title=USTA Player Records 1978|date=1979|publisher=United States Tennis Association (USTA)|page=220}}

|college =

|turnedpro =

|retired =

|plays = Right-handed

|careerprizemoney =

|tennishofyear =

|tennishofid =

|website =

|singlesrecord = 56–50

|singlestitles = 7

|highestsinglesranking = No. 10 (July 3, 1977)

|AustralianOpenresult =

|FrenchOpenresult = QF (1977, 1978)

|Wimbledonresult = 4R (1977)

|USOpenresult = QF (1978)

|Othertournaments =

|MastersCupresult =

|WTAChampionshipsresult =

|Olympicsresult =

|doublesrecord = 36–49

|doublestitles = 4

|highestdoublesranking =

|AustralianOpenDoublesresult =

|FrenchOpenDoublesresult = 2R (1977)

|WimbledonDoublesresult = 3R (1974)

|USOpenDoublesresult = QF (1978, 1979)

|OthertournamentsDoubles =

|MastersCupDoublesresult =

|WTAChampionshipsDoublesresult =

|OlympicsDoublesresult =

|Mixed =

|mixedrecord =

|mixedtitles =

|AustralianOpenMixedresult =

|FrenchOpenMixedresult =

|WimbledonMixedresult =

|USOpenMixedresult =

|OthertournamentsMixedDoubles =

|OlympicMixedDoublesresult =

}}

Kathy May Fritz (born June 18, 1956) is an American former professional tennis player.{{cite book|title=1978 Colgate Series Media Guide|year=1978|publisher=H.O. Zimman Inc.|location=New York|author=Jim Bainbridge|page=88}} 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 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 has reached the top 5 on the ATP Tour.

Early and personal life

May was born and grew up in Beverly Hills, California.[http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/08/the-making-of-americas-next-great-tennis-talent.html The Making of America's Next Great Tennis Talent] She is the great-granddaughter of David May, founder of The May Department Stores Company (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.[http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/11283 "The Australian Open Champion Who Almost Wasn't - Book Excerpt From 'The Greatest Jewish Tennis Players of All Time,'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904015444/http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/11283 |date=September 4, 2017 }} World Tennis Magazine. She married fireman Donn Paben in 1981 with whom she had two sons, and subsequently divorced.[https://www.familytreenow.com/records/marriage/may/katherine Katherine May - Free Marriage & Vital Records][https://books.google.com/books?id=FyAdAQAAMAAJ&q=%22kathy+may%22+%22don+paben%22 World Tennis] 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.[http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/dad-at-19-a-young-tennis-star-turning-heads-raising-eyebrows/articleshow/57767450.cms "Dad at 19: A young tennis star turning heads, raising eyebrows,"] The Economic Times.[http://www.tennis-x.com/xblog/2015-10-20/20938.php Is Taylor Fritz The Next American Tennis Star?]{{cite web | url=https://www.desertsun.com/story/sports/tennis/bnp/2023/03/03/bnp-paribas-open-taylor-fritz-returns-to-indian-wells-as-top-5-player/69928658007/ | title=BNP Paribas Open: Taylor and Guy Fritz have come full circle, with the younger Fritz playing his best tennis }}

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.{{cite news|title=Kathy May Hands Wade Upset Loss|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=H_tLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AfkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5847%2C843687|work=Spokane Daily Chronicle|agency=AP|date=January 5, 1978|page=34}}

WTA Tour finals

=Singles: 7 (7–0)=

valign=top

|

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"

!Winner - Legend

bgcolor=#F3E6D7|Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)

bgcolor=#FFFFCC|WTA Tour Championships (0–0)

Virginia Slims, Avon, Other (7–0)

|

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"

! Titles by surface

Hard (3–0)

Grass (1–0)

Clay (3–0)

Carpet (0–0)

|}

class="sortable wikitable"

!style="width:70px"|Outcome

!style="width:20px"|No.

!style="width:115px"|Date

!style="width:180px"|Tournament

!style="width:50px"|Surface

!style="width:180px"|Opponent

!style="width:130px" class="unsortable"|Score

style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner

|1.

|September 17, 1973

|Los Angeles

|Hard

|{{flagicon|USA}} Lea Antonoplis

|5–7, 6–1, 6–2

bgcolor=

|style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner

|2.

|April 22, 1974

|Ojai Tennis Tournament

|Hard

|{{flagicon|USA}} Susan Hagey

|2–6, 6–0, 6–1

bgcolor=

|style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner

|3.

|May 6, 1974

|Los Angeles

|Hard

|{{flagicon|USA}} Lindsay Morse

|6–4, 7–6

bgcolor=

|style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner

|4.

|August 19, 1974

|Haverford

|Grass

|{{flagicon|USA}} Barbara Jordan

|6–3, 7–5

bgcolor=

|style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner

|5.

|March 17, 1975

|Pensacola, Florida

|Clay

|{{flagicon|RSA|1928}} Ilana Kloss

|5–7, 6–4, 7–6

bgcolor=

|style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner

|6.

|January 19, 1976

|Fort Myers, Florida

|Clay

|{{flagicon|USA}} Ann Kiyomura

|5–7, 6–3, 6–1

bgcolor=

|style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner

|7.

|September 8, 1976

|Indianapolis

|Clay

|{{flagicon|RSA|1928}} Brigitte Cuypers

|6–4, 4–6, 6–2

=Doubles: 7 (4–3) =

valign=top

|

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"

!Winner - Legend

bgcolor=#F3E6D7|Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)

bgcolor=#FFFFCC|WTA Tour Championships (0–0)

Virginia Slims, Avon, Other (4–3)

|

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"

! Titles by surface

Hard (3–2)

Grass (0–0)

Clay (1–1)

Carpet (0–0)

|}

class="sortable wikitable"

!style="width:70px"|Outcome

!style="width:20px"|No.

!style="width:115px"|Date

!style="width:180px"|Tournament

!style="width:50px"|Surface

!style="width:180px"|Partner

!style="width:180px"|Opponents

!style="width:140px" class="unsortable"|Score

style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner

| 1.

| May 7, 1973

| Los Angeles

| Hard

| {{flagicon|USA}} Marita Redondo

| {{flagicon|USA}} Lindsay Morse
{{flagicon|USA}} Jean Nachand

| 6–4, 6–0

style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner

| 2.

| September 17, 1973

| Los Angeles

| Hard

| {{flagicon|USA}} Marita Redondo

| {{flagicon|USA}} Laurie Tenney
{{flagicon|USA}} Robin Tenney

| 6–3, 7–5

style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up

| 1.

| May 6, 1974

| Los Angeles

| Hard

| {{flagicon|USA}} Maricaye Christenson

| {{flagicon|USA}} Lea Antonoplis
{{flagicon|USA}} Susan Hagey

| 6–3, 6–4

style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner

| 3.

| July 8, 1974

| Raleigh, North Carolina

| Clay

| {{flagicon|USA}} Rayni Fox

| {{flagicon|USA}} Lindsay Morse
{{flagicon|USA}} JoAnne Russell

| 5–7, 6–4, 6–2

style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner

| 4.

| September 16, 1974

| Los Angeles

| Hard

| {{flagicon|USA}} Susan Hagey

| {{flagicon|USA}} Dodo Cheney
{{flagicon|USA}} Cynthia-Ann Thomas

| 6–2, 6–4

style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up

| 2.

| August 18, 1975

| South Orange

| Clay

| {{flagicon|USA}} Kathleen Harter

| {{flagicon|USA}} Kristien Shaw
{{flagicon|RSA|1928}} Greer Stevens

| w/o

style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up

| 3.

| November 21, 1978

| Tokyo

| Hard (i)

| {{flagicon|USA}} Tracy Austin

| {{flagicon|USA}} Martina Navratilova
{{flagicon|NED}} Betty Stöve

| 6–4, 6–7, 3–6

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

class="wikitable"

! Tournament !! 1973 !! 1974 !! 1975 !! 1976 !! colspan=2|1977 !! 1978 !! 1979 !! 1980 !! Career SR

style="background:#EFEFEF;" | Australian Open

|align="center"| A

| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 0

style="background:#EFEFEF;" | French Open

|align="center"| A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;" colspan=2|QF

|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF