Holt Stuns Fritz In Sparkling Grand Slam Debut

American qualifier Brandon Holt claimed a statement win in his main-draw Grand Slam debut Monday night at the US Open, upsetting 10th-seeded countryman Taylor Fritz 6-7(3), 7-6(1), 6-3, 6-4 to charge into the second round at Flushing Meadows.

Holt, 24, the son of two-time US Open champion Tracy Austin, had not won a Tour-level match coming into the tournament. The World No. 303 had to win through qualifying at the ATP Challenger Tour level in Chicago in his final tournament before playing US Open qualifying.

The defeat is a blow to Fritz's hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals in November. The American is currently 10th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race to Turin and was hoping for a deep run at Flushing Meadows to move into the Top 8.

Holt turned professional in 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic began. Last year, Holt began to feel pain in his hand, which troubled him for months. After several doctor visits, he learned an osteoid osteoma, an extra bone growing on his fourth metacarpal.

The American had two options to deal with it, and chose the more invasive, but safer option. After undergoing the operation in August, Holt did not play the rest of 2021.

Holt will play the winner of Argentine Pedro Cachin and Slovenia's Aljaz Bedene.