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Illinois' Marc Spicijaric, and Ohio State's Steven Moneke Share Weekly Honor
Feb. 17, 2009
Co-Players of the Week: Marc Spicijaric earns his second weekly award of the 2009 campaign after helping the Illini go 3-1 against four top-15 teams at the ITA National Men’s Team Indoor Championship last week. Spicijaric led the Illini to victory over seventh-ranked Florida, No. 10 Baylor and No. 12 Tulsa, with their only loss coming to No. 4 UCLA in the first round of the tournament. The No. 101-ranked senior went 3-0 in doubles and 3-1 in singles over the week. Spicijaric teamed up with Marek Czerwinski to open the tournament at No. 1 doubles, downing the Gators, 8-3. The Illini duo went on to clinch the doubles point for Illinois against UCLA, defeating the Bruin tandem of Matt Brooklyn and Harel Srugo, 8-4, at No. 2 doubles. Against the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes, the Spicijaric and Czerwinski were once again victorious, dominating Tulsa’s Alberto Sottocorno and Ashley Watling, 8-3. On the final day of the ITA National Indoor Championships, Spicijaric and Czerwinski continued their winning ways, ousting Baylor’s Marc Bruche and Attila Bucko, 9-7 (5) at No. 2 doubles, clinching the crucial doubles point for the Orange and Blue. In singles play, Spicijaric knocked off Florida’s Antoine Benneteau in a straight sets victory 6-2, 6-2, helping the Illini defeat seventh-ranked Florida, 4-3, handing the Gators their first loss of the season. Spicijaric’s only loss on the week came against No. 67-ranked Matt Brooklyn of UCLA in a three-set match. However, the Wesley Chapel, Fla., native returned to defeat the Hurricanes’ Victor Kolik, grinding out a match-clinching win 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. Against his highest ranked opponent so far this season, Spicijaric was unstoppable against No. 13 Jordan Rux of Baylor, claiming a straight sets victory, to give Illinois another upset on the weekend.
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