Senior finds success away from home

Much can change in four years. Senior Milan Rakvica can vouch for that.\nFour years ago, Rakvica was in the Czech Republic studying at a local university. Looking to study elsewhere, he spoke with friend and fellow tennis player, Ondrej Holik, who had just been hired as an assistant coach with IU's men's tennis team. Holik, from the same town as Rakvica, brought his prospect to coach Ken Hydinger. \n"I never got to see Milan play, so I was going on what Ondrej told me about him," Hydinger said. "I trust Ondrej, and he told me (Milan) was a good guy and a good player. Good enough to eventually play No. 1 (singles)."\nDuring his first year on the team, Rakvica drew attention. Playing in the No. 4 singles spot, he led the team in overall victories and fell two wins short of tying the IU single-season record for wins, putting his name in the record books as one of five Hoosiers to win 30 matches in a season, including 17 in a row. \nRakvica's eyes were also opened in his first season. \n"It was kind of tough in the beginning," Rakvica said. "I had to get used to a different culture, and the language was the hardest part. But it was a lot easier after I made friends and got to know the team."\nIn his junior year, Rakvica added to his list of achievements being named All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten with a 25-win season.\nNow, Holik's prediction has become a reality as Rakvica is in the No. 1 position for the No. 31 Hoosiers. \n"He's matured every year," Hydinger said. "Playing at No. 1, he has played a lot of tough competition and has done a great job of staying in every match. He's a heck of a player."\nHolik said he is also proud of his product.\n"Milan has been playing very well this season and has picked up some good wins," Holik said. "He is a great baseliner with quick feet, and he does a great job of keeping the ball in play. It is hard to play No. 1, but he has done a good job of being patient and playing steady."\nPlaying No. 1 for the Hoosiers has been a challenge for Rakvica. This season, he has already faced two of the top 10 players in the nation, defeating Minnesota's Harsh Mankad and losing a hard-fought match to Arkansas's Oskar Johansson, the nation's No. 1 player. \nBut playing against high-caliber tennis players is not all that new to Rakvica. After deciding to focus on tennis around age 12, Rakvica began playing on a club team. In his six years of playing, Rakvica's club team won two national championships in the Czech Republic, giving him the experience of facing several players that are now among the top 100 in the world. \n"Playing No. 1, you face a lot of tough competition," Rakvica said. "Playing this level of tennis is harder mentally and physically, but I feel like I have done a good job of learning to control my emotions."\nThings are going well so far as Rakvica has led the Hoosiers to a 7-1 team record and compiled a 5-3 individual record. He was also a quarterfinalist in the 2001 Big Ten Singles Championships. Rakvica is happy with the season to this point, but is hoping the best is yet to come, for himself as well as the team. \n"I would really like for us to win the Big Ten as a team and do as well as we can in the NCAAs," Rakvica said. "We've been working really hard, and things are going pretty well so far"