March 7, 2009
Box Score
URBANA, Ill. - The seventh-ranked Illinois men's tennis team won its third consecutive Big Ten match and eighth overall with a 4-3 win over the No. 19 Wisconsin Badgers this evening at the Atkins Tennis Center in front of over 300 fans. The Orange and Blue came out energized and focused in doubles to take an early 1-0 lead. At No. 4 singles, junior Marek Czerwinski provided the match-clinching win with a straight sets victory over Wisconsin's Luke Rassow-Kantor, 7-6 (3), 6-3.
"I think we did a couple things really well this weekend," head coach Brad Dancer said. "We came out with energy in doubles in both matches and that's been an important point we've been stressing in practice. I thought it was a team effort the whole weekend. Everyone stayed engaged and involved from the guys that played to the guys on the sideline and that was a huge positive for us."
With the victory, the Illini improve to 13-3 overall and 3-0 in conference play.
In doubles, the veteran duo of Czerwinski and senior Marc Spicijaric, currently ranked No. 41 in the country, got the ball rolling as they cruised to an 8-4 victory over the Badgers' Michael Muskievicz and Michael Dierberger. The Illini clinched the point when the pair of senior Brian Livingston and freshman Dennis Nevolo downed Luke Rassow-Kantor and Patrick Pohlmann of Wisconsin, 8-4, at No. 3 doubles.
With the early 1-0 lead, the Illini kept the momentum going as Livingston took a dominant straight sets win at No. 6 singles over UW's Michael Dierberger, 6-2, 6-2. The Skokie, Ill., native is now 7-1 in dual matches this season.
The Badgers struck back taking a victory at No. 1 singles, but not longer after that junior Meedo El Tabakh took a dominating 6-2, 6-0 straight sets win at No. 5 singles, inching the Illini closer to victory.
At No. 4 singles, it was the junior Czerwinski who fell behind early on his first set then rallied for the clinching win. The No. 101-ranked Czerwinski started off slow in the first set as Wisconsin's Luke Rassow-Kantor jumped out to an early 4-2 lead. However, the Birmingham, Mich., native was not willing to go down without a fight as Czerwinski battled back to even the score at 4-4. From there on out, it was all Illini as Czerwinski took the straight sets win 7-6 (3), 6-3. Czerwinski is now 9-2 on the year in dual matches.
Closing out the match, it was a fight to the finish at Nos. 2 and 3 singles. At No. 3 singles freshman Ruan Roelofse fought hard, but fell short to Wisconsin's Patrick Pohlmann, 7-5, 6-7 (0-7), 1-0 (10-4). While at No. 2 singles No.29-ranked sophomore Roy Kalmanovich gave it all he had but could not overcome the Badgers No. 41-ranked Marek Michalicka, falling 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2).
Illinois hits the road next weekend as they travel to College Station, Tex., to face the No. 52 Texas A&M Aggies on Mar. 15 at 12 p.m. CT.
Match Results
University of Wisconsin vs University of Illinois
3/7/2009 at Urbana, Ill.
(Atkins Tennis Center)
#7 University of Illinois 4, #19 University of Wisconsin 3
Singles competition
1. #72 Moritz Baumann (UW) def. #55 Marc Spicijaric (ILL) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2
2. #41 Marek Michalicka (UW) def. #29 Roy Kalmanovich (ILL) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2)
3. Patrick Pohlmann (UW) def. Ruan Roelofse (ILL) 7-5, 6-7 (0-7), 1-0 (10-4)
4. #101 Marek Czerwinski (ILL) def. Luke Rassow-Kantor (UW) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3
5. Meedo El Tabakh (ILL) def. Peter Marrack (UW) 6-2, 6-0
6. Brian Livingston (ILL) def. Michael Dierberger (UW) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. #16 Moritz Baumann/Marek Michalicka (UW) def. Billy Heiser/Ruan Roelofse (ILL) 9-8 (7-1)
2. #41 Marek Czerwinski/Marc Spicijaric (ILL) def. Michael Muskievicz/Michael Dierberger (UW) 8-4
3. Brian Livingston/Dennis Nevolo (ILL) def. Luke Rassow-Kantor / Patrick Pohlmann (UW) 8-4
Match Notes:
University of Wisconsin 9-3; National ranking #19
University of Illinois 13-3, 3-0; National ranking #7
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (6,1,5,4,3,2)
