Eliot Spizzirri debuts at Miami Open with wildcard

Eliot Spizzirri, an American tennis player, made his Masters 1000 debut at the Miami Open. He received a wildcard entry and won his first match against British qualifier Billy Harris in straight sets. However, during the match, Spizzirri had a moment of panic. He asked the chair umpire if he could swear on the court, saying he wasn't "used to this." The match took place on the Grandstand, the second-largest court at the Miami Open. While trailing 2-5 in the second set, Spizzirri asked umpire Mohamed Lahyani about the microphones that might pick up his swearing. Lahyani reassured him that the microphones could be sensitive, but Spizzirri seemed relieved and admitted he needed to calm down. Spizzirri’s win over Harris, with scores of 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-2, marked just his second victory in an ATP main draw. He is set to face 24th seed Sebastian Korda in the next round, a match that will likely be featured on a larger court. The 23-year-old has come a long way since his college days at the University of Texas, where he lost the national championship to TCU last May. That loss was tough, but it helped him realize there’s more to life than tennis. Spizzirri mentioned that a recent golf day with friends showed him he could still be happy outside of tennis achievements. He now aims to enjoy his time on the court and not judge himself based solely on his performance. Regardless of the outcome against Korda, Spizzirri is already celebrating his milestone of winning his first Masters 1000 match.