Marek Michalicka's game should be taken more seriously than his nickname.
The standout freshman from Ricany, Czech Republic, who is respectfully referred to as Tweety"" by coaches and teammates, leads the No. 34 UW men's tennis team with a 19-2 overall record in dual matches, including a 7-2 mark in Big Ten play, playing primarily at the No. 2 and No. 3 singles slots.
""I love Looney Tunes, and I love the character Tweety,"" Michalicka said.
Standing at 6'0"" and a generously-listed 160 pounds, Michalicka has been ranked as high as No. 113 in the country after joining the Badgers this spring. He is no stranger to being ranked, as he appeared in the top-40 among all players in the Czech Republic while attending Statni Gymnazium Ricany prior to joining UW.
According to assistant coach Evan Austin, Michalicka's name was mentioned by a couple of contacts of head coach Greg Van Emburgh's in Europe. Michalicka and the UW coaches exchanged e-mails, and after a ""three or four month process,"" Michalicka signed with the Badgers, transferring from the University of Prague. He still has four years of eligibility remaining at Wisconsin, according to Austin.
""First impression was let's see how he adjusts to playing indoors a little more, he played a lot on clay courts over in Europe,"" Austin said. ""He's just a guy that no matter who he's playing, he knows how to figure out a way to win. He's a real experienced guy, and he's just kind of been around the block as far as tournaments go.""
Michalicka boasts seven singles victories over teams that have been ranked in the top-30 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Perhaps his best win came on March 30 against Illinois. Michalicka's 6-4, 6-2 trouncing of No. 76 Billy Heiser at No. 3 singles helped the Badgers upset the then-No. 16 Fighting Illini 5-2 in Madison. Michalicka played a vital role in a win snapped a 14-match losing streak against Illinois.
""To take Illinois out, that was a memory that will last for a long time just for all of us,"" senior Jeremy Sonkin said.
UW coaches and players are confident in the level-headed Michalicka every time he steps on the court.
""Marek's been sort of our guy where he kind of goes out there and you just feel like he's going to win every time,"" Austin said. ""So it's been unbelievable to have him.""
Sonkin stressed the importance of having young players to fill in the spots vacated by seniors, especially with the graduation of Lachezar Kasarov, a regular in the lineup, following the 2007 spring season.
""It's really important that we have those spots at the top and bottom to fill in, and have these guys that can play these big matches and get the points when we need them,"" Sonkin said. ""They've contributed to it, without them we wouldn't be getting the wins that we've been getting.""
Michalicka plans to study economics, and eventually get into the UW Business School. The first-year player admitted he is still adjusting to life on campus and is still learning the language, but said he enjoys the Madison area.
""It's pretty nice,"" he said. ""I love State Street and everything on it, even though the construction sometimes doesn't make it look so nice.""
When asked about what he can improve on in his tennis game, the freshman responded, ""everything."" However, he expressed his goals for the rest of the season with reference to the team rather than his own individual game.
""We need to beat Michigan State this weekend first,"" Michalicka said. ""Then we need to succeed in the Big Ten Tournament, and we'll try our luck in the NCAA [Tournament].
