March 17, 2009
NORMAL, Ill. -
Illinois State sophomore Filip Miljevic was named the Missouri Valley Conference men's tennis player of the week, the first of his collegiate career, the league office announced Tuesday. Miljevic went 2-0 at the No. 3 singles position over spring break against Louisiana-Lafayette and Southeastern Louisiana.
"I am happy for Filip," said head coach Cris James. "He had been struggling a little with his confidence. Over spring break, he played some of his best tennis and got his confidence back. Both players he beat were pretty solid guys. I think Filip is more comfortable outdoors, so hopefully he'll be able to continue playing well as we make the transition to the outdoor part of the season and start to see conference play."
At Louisiana-Lafayette, Miljevic topped Piotr Olechowski, 6-2, 6-3, at the No. 3 singles slot, to earn the only point for the Redbirds. In doubles play, Miljevic and partner freshman Skip Span were defeated by Piotr Banas and Olechowski, 8-6.
After a short turn-around, the Redbirds traveled to Hammond, La., to take on the Southeastern Louisiana Lions. The Redbirds remained tough, as a teammate suffered an injury and was forced to retire early from singles competition. Miljevic defeated Damien Cordoba in a super tie-breaking match, 4-6, 7-6, 10-8, but it was not enough to lift the `Birds to victory over the Lions.
The Redbirds host Butler March 20, at 2 p.m., to kick off the outdoor portion of the season at the Gregory Street Courts in Normal, Ill.
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