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Longhorns' Spizzirri punches ticket to US Open with heart-pounding qualifier win
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Eliot Spizzirri, a two-time national collegiate tennis player of the year for the Texas Longhorns, will make his Grand Slam tournament debut at the US Open.
Spizzirri battled through the qualifying tournament, winning three matches including a thriller over Brazil's Joao Fonseca on Thursday to punch his ticket to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. Spizzirri beat Fonseca 7-6 (10-8), 6-7 (5-7), 6-4 in his final match to advance to the US Open.
The Longhorn was steady throughout the match, winning 50 points while receiving and winning four break points. He overcame the Brazilian's big serve and 12-3 disadvantage in aces. Fonseca double-faulted seven times while Spizzirri did just four times.
Spizzirri will play fellow American Alex Michelsen in the first round Tuesday. With a win, he would likely face top-seeded Jannik Sinner in the second round. It was recently revealed that Skinner twice tested positive for clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, in March. He was docked prize money and ranking points but avoided a suspension from the International Tennis Integrity Agency, the governing body that handles anti-doping investigations for professional tennis.
On the women's side, incoming Texas freshman Maya Joint made the US Open field through the qualifying tournament. She'll face Laura Siegemund on Monday.