More Records Fall For Tori As He Earns Fifth A-Sun Weekly Honor
3/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
March 24, 2010
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Wednesday's Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week award for senior Javier Tori, the USC Upstate men's tennis team's all-time wins leader, may seem like just another notch on his resume that grows with every match, but it will leave a lasting mark. With his fifth weekly honor and third of the season, Tori set A-Sun records in both categories, the league office in Macon, Ga., announced.
Tori broke the A-Sun record of two weekly honors in a season with Wednesday's announcement, as he also won the weekly award on March 3 (in part for setting the school's doubles wins record) and March 17 (in part for becoming the first player in school history to win 150 career combined matches). He also became the first player to win back-to-back weekly awards since Davy Sum on Feb. 22 and 29, 2008. Other players who won two weekly honors in a season include Stetson's Hicham Laalej in 2007, Campbell's Jiri Beranek in 2005, Belmont's Joao Paoliello in 2009, ETSU's Lisandro Picardo in 2007, Stetson's Maksim Levanovic in 2009 and Mercer's Warren Woolfolk in 2006.
Tori broke the A-Sun record of four career weekly honors set by ETSU's Enrique Olivares, who was a 2008 All-American. Tori, a Lima, Peru, native, also earned the weekly award on March 9, 2008 (in part for posting a perfect 4-0 week) as a sophomore and April 8, 2009 (in part for setting the school's career combined wins record and tying the singles mark) as a junior.
This week, Tori's accomplishments on the court once again deserved recognition, as he became the first player in school history to reach 75 career singles wins with one of the biggest wins in school history as he led Upstate's comeback to a 4-3 win over No. 49 ETSU, handing the Bucs their first loss in A-Sun history.
With the Spartans down 3-2 to the No. 49 Bucs and Tori down a set, the Lima, Peru native came back to lead USC Upstate to the win by forcing a second-set break to 6-4. Tori then continued his strong play to take the third set, 6-2, versus Daniel Isaza at No. 3 to tie the match as Ramiro Blanco served for the match on court five.
In doubles, Tori helped pace USC Upstate to the point with an 8-6 win at No. 1 with partner Renzo Airaldi against Grega Teraz and Charles Bottoni, marking the pairings' 14th consecutive win, another D-I era record. Tori also posted a 6-1, 6-2 win versus Winthrop on Tuesday for his 11th consecutive singles win, helping Upstate to another 4-3 win.
Upstate will get back on the court on Friday with a match against A-Sun foe UNF (14-4 overall, 5-1 A-Sun), who is currently second in the A-Sun standings, one match behind Upstate, and ranked 10th in the Southeast Region.
