University of Minnesota Athletics
2017-18 Men's Tennis Roster
Matic Spec
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Maribor, Slovenia
- High School:
- II. Gimnazija Maribor
| SINGLES | OVERALL | B1G |
| 2014-15 | 31-5 | 9-0 |
| 2015-16 | 15-3 | - |
| 2016-17 | 21-16 | 6-6 |
| 2017-18 | 24-9 | 10-0 |
| Career | 91-43 | N/A |
| DOUBLES | OVERALL | B1G |
| 2014-15 | 18-12 | 5-2 |
| 2015-16 | 18-19 | - |
| 2016-17 | 21-11 | 5-5 |
| 2017-18 | 17-12 | 4-4 |
| Career Totals | 74-54 | N/A |
2016-17 | JUNIOR SPRING Received Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award • was named First-Team All-Big Ten • 12-13 in singles play and 14-8 in doubles • ranked No. 66 at the end of the season • finished with a record of 10-11 in the No. 1 single spot • ended the season with a record of 13-8 in the No. 1 doubles position • opened the season with a pair of straight set victories 6-4, 6-0 against South Dakota State and 6-2, 6-1 over Marquette • started the spring season off by winning first seven matches • obtained first ranked victory of the spring season with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over No. 41 Strong Kirchheimer of Northwestern • with the help of Corwin, won first eight doubles matches including impressive 6-1 victories over Western Michigan and Dartmouth • in the No. 1 spot, defeated Gonzalo Morell of Middle Tennessee 6-0, 6-4 • in the No. 1 slot, defeated the No. 28 Illinois pair of Jesse/Kovacevic in 7-5 match • named Big Ten Athlete of the Week on April 4 • contributed to a point against No. 33 Wisconsin with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) victory over Lamar Remy • earned two singles wins at the No. 2 spot, winning 7-6 (10-6), 6-4 against Purdue, 6-2, 6-4 against Indiana. FALL Ranked No. 13 in doubles with Felix Corwin • went 9-3 in singles play and 7-3 in doubles • partnered with Corwin in doubles at the ITA All-American Championships • picked up two doubles wins before falling to No. 2 Bergevi/Lakat 6-3, 4-6, 1-0(6-0) and No. 1 Cash/Kadhe 7-5, 7-5 • defeated No. 11 Mike Redlicki 5-7, 7-6, 7-5 to place second in singles at the ITA Central Region Championships • won the doubles Gold Draw at the Gopher Invitational with Corwin.
2015-16 SOPHOMORE SPRING Was named to the All-Big Ten team • winner of the Phil Brain Memorial Award (Team MVP) • went 12-11 in singes play and 12-7 in doubles • Went undefeated in first dual match of the season, Played in No. 1 singles, winning 6-3, 0-6, 6-1, and No. 2 singles winning 6-2, 6-1 • Defeated No. 9 ranked OSU pair Cash/Kadhe in a rematch of the fall ITA Central Region Championship with teammate Felix Corwin • with help of teammate Lynn, won at No. 3 doubles against Wisconsin, 6-2 • fell in close match to Josef Dodridge of Wisconsin, 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1 • outlasted Green Bay's Rowan Isaaks/Miles McDowall 6-0. Also defeated Green Bay's Leo Gomez-Islinger at the No. 1 spot, 7-5, 6-2 • defeated Drake pairing of Calum MacGeoch/Ben Lott 7-6 (4) at the No. 2 spot with help from Lynn • earned two singles wins at the No. 1 spot, winning a three set match 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 against Army, 6-1, 6-2 against Illinois State • swept Illinois State at the No. 2 spot with Lynn, 6-0 • picked up one of two wins for Minnesota over No. 45 Washington, winning a three-set match at the No. 1 spot 2-6, 7-5, 6-0 • earned a close win at the No. 1 spot against Hawaii, 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4) • earned the only point for the Gophers against No. 52 Iowa, winning 7-5, 6-0 at the No. 1 spot • picked up the only win of the day against Illinois with Lynn at No. 2 doubles, winning 6-4 • earned the only point for the Gophers against No. 21 Michigan, winning 6-3, 6-4 against No. 75 Jathan Malik • earned singles and doubles wins against Michigan State, winning 6-3, 6-2 at No. 1 singles and 6-1 with Corwin at No. 1 doubles • awarded Big Ten Tennis Athlete of the Week after his weekend performance • won the first set against No. 2 ranked Mikael Torpegaard of OSU, with the game going unfinished at 6-3, 4-5 • was successful in No. 1 doubles and singles in the upset of No. 39 Penn State - won 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in singles play and swept Penn State No. 1 doubles with Corwin 6-0 • contributed to the doubles point win with a 6-3 victory at No.1 doubles with Corwin over Purdue • in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, once again earned a 6-3 victory at No. 1 doubles over Purdue with the help of Corwin • lost his last match in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, 6-4, 6-2 to No. 48 ranked Gergely Madarasz at No. 1 singles • named First Team All-Big Ten and earned a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. FALL Went 3-2 in singles play and 6-2 in doubles play • Advanced to the round of 32 in singles play, going 1-1 with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 victory over Christian Seraphim at the ITA All-American • Won the ITA Central Region doubles championship alongside partner Felix Corwin, with five wins topping the No. 14 ranked doubles tandem from Oklahoma State • Competed in doubles play at the ITA National Indoors with Corwin, defeating Christian Coetzee and Luiz Pinto of UAB (6-3, 6-3).
2014-15 • FRESHMAN Finished the season 31-5 in singles and 18-12 in doubles • was the school's first 30-match singles winner since 2003 and had the program's seventh-highest single-season win percentage • First Team All-Big Ten • ITA Central Region Rookie of the Year • earned the team's Jerry Noyce/Nike Most Improved Player Award • won the final Big Ten Athlete of the Week Award after going 4-0 at No. 2 singles and No. 3 doubles in wins over Illinois and Northwestern, helping the team win its first conference title since 1995 (April 21) • was an alternate selection for the NCAA singles tournament • finished the season ranked 68th nationally in singles and reached as high as 57th • registered a 9-0 Big Ten singles record • went 14-1 in singles and 9-2 in doubles at the Baseline Tennis Center • had a 22-2 record in singles in dual-match play, playing at position Nos. 2-5 • finished the season on a 14-match singles win streak • was 4-1 against ranked opponents, including a three-set triumph over Ohio State's No. 116-ranked Herkko Pollanen (April 3) and a 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory against No. 23 Jared Hiltzik of Illinois (April 17) • had a 13-9 spring doubles ledger, playing primarily at No. 3 with Eric Frueh • completed his first fall season with a 9-3 singles record and a 5-3 doubles record • went 3-1 at his first collegiate tournament, the Penn Invitational, including a 6-0, 6-2 triumph over No. 96 Sam Fleck of Cornell (Sept. 26-28) • reached the round of 16 with two wins at the ITA Central Region Championships (Oct. 9-12) • advanced to the singles final at the Big Ten Indoor Championships with four wins (Nov. 1-3) • three of his four wins came in three sets, including a 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 defeat of 64th-ranked Dusty Boyer of Nebraska • played doubles with Frueh and Ruben Weber • with Frueh, made it to the round of 16 at the ITA Central Region Championships (Oct. 9-11) • with Weber, reached the championship match of the Big Ten Indoors (Oct. 31).
PRIOR TO MINNESOTA
Played club tennis for ZTK Maribor • won four international singles tournaments and six Slovenian singles titles • four-time national champion in doubles.
PERSONAL
Plans to study psychology and business • attended II. gimnazija Maribor and earned the highest possible year-end grades in all four years • received school key (award for academic excellence) • lists most memorable sports thrills as winning six national titles and four international tournaments • hobbies include going to the movies, going out with friends, reading, playing video games, and other sports, especially soccer and basketball • son of Aleksander and Natalija Spec • born Feb. 26, 1995.
