On one side in the singles final of the inaugural Better Buzz San Diego Open ATP Challenger 100 tournament was Mackenzie McDonald, a former top 40 player.
On the other was Eliot Spizzirri, a player who has made it into the top 200 less than a year after graduating from the University of Texas as a two-time choice as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Player of the Year.
Such is the nature of the Challenger Tour, with competitors looking to reach or return to the top ATP Tour.
The rising star prevailed this time as the unseeded Spizzirri topped No. 4 McDonald 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 for his first Challenger title in three finals before a sellout crowd of some 700 at the Barnes Center on Sunday.
“This means a lot,” said Spizzirri, 23, who also took the doubles title with partner Tyler Sink on Saturday night. “To get over the hump and capture the title is a great feeling.”
Spizzirri, 23, from Greenwich, Conn., earned $22,730 from the $160,000 purse along with 100 points that will prove helpful in climbing the WTA rankings. He entered the tourney ranked No. 194, just off his career best No. 189.
It took four match points over the last two games for Spizzirri to pull through. He also overcame a pulled hip muscle that required on-court treatment late in the second set.
“With the adrenaline and some pain killers, I felt better,” Spizzirri said. “I kept telling myself to trust myself and go for it when I got the opportunity because he wouldn’t give it to me.”
Next up for Spizzirri is qualifying starting Monday at the prestigious BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
McDonald, 29, from Piedmont, has a wild-card entry in the main draw. The 2016 NCAA singles champion from UCLA reached a career-high ranking at No. 37 late in the 2023 but entered the San Diego tourney at No. 115.
Spizzirri wrapped up doubles with Zink, of Lancaster, almost seven hours after the start of his singles semifinal.
They won 6-7, 7-6, 10-8 over a team that included San Diego’s Noah Zamora, a UC Irvine senior.
As part of a wild-card entry, Zamora met his partner, Venezuela’s Juan Jose Rianchi, the day before their first match.
San Diego’s Trevor Svajda, 18, reached the quarterfinals before losing to McDonald 6-3, 6-4.
The SMU sophomore outdid his older brother, Zach, 22, a fourth-year pro who fell in the opening round.
Santee’s Rolan Munali, a sophomore at Harvard, reached the main draw through qualifying but lost in the first round.
Of the 16 Challenger tourneys with February starts, the San Diego Open was the only one in the U.S.
