One win, two losses for m. tennis in Sunshine State

Like any group of sensible Princeton students, the men's tennis team headed south over Intersession, leaving behind subzero temperatures for warmer weather.

The Tigers returned from balmy Florida with a 1-2 record after sandwiching a win over Florida A&M between losses to No. 75 Central Florida and No. 36 Florida State.

Princeton's first match of 2004 came at Central Florida (2-1) on Jan. 27. The Tigers took the doubles point and two more wins from junior No. 5 David Gopstein and freshman No. 6 Sratha Saengsuwarn.

The Golden Knights' heavy-hitting top four, however, proved to be Princeton's downfall. The Tigers' No. 1, sophomore Darius Craton, and No. 2, senior Daniel Friedman, each fell in straight sets. Sophomore No. 3 Andrew Lieu lost a hard-fought match in three sets, and the Central Florida victory at No. 4 singles meant an overall 4-3 loss.

Head coach Glenn Michibata attributed the loss partially to rustiness and also to the Golden Knights' strength at the top of their lineup.

"Against Central Florida we were just a little off since it was our first match outdoors since early October," Michibata said. "Overall we played well, and the matches we lost were simply to better players on that day."

Next on Princeton's agenda was Florida A&M, which turned out to be a 6-1 rout in the Tigers' favor. The two teams faced off on Jan. 31.

Once again, the Princeton doubles teams earned the early point. Teams of Friedman-Craton, Gopstein-Lieu and Saengsuwarn-Plukas all won close matches.

The Tigers enjoyed similar success in singles play. Five Princeton players posted straight-set victories, including Craton, Friedman, Lieu, Saengsuwarn and senior Tim Kofol at No. 6. Sophomore No. 4 Hans Plukas battled back and forth with his opponent before losing a nail-biter.

The next day, the Tigers faced their biggest challenge of the week in No. 36 Florida St. (2-2). The Seminoles claimed the early doubles point on their way to a 5-2 victory.

For the second time that week, the top four Tigers each lost. At Nos. 5 and 6, respectively, Plukas and sophomore Shannon Morales earned Princeton's only points.

"We have the talent to be consistently ranked, but we first must gain some wins over the teams ranked ahead of us," Michibata said.

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Several Tigers who struggled with injuries during the team's fall season returned with a vengeance over the break. Kofol, Friedman and Gopstein each posted doubles or singles wins during their teams' three matches.

Princeton's injured top player, junior Josh Burman, may rejoin the team on the court later in the season — more good news for the Tigers, although his status is still uncertain.

Michibata was pleased with the team's overall performance. Still, he recognized the team has a long road ahead if it wants to achieve its goals of winning the Ivy League title and earning a consistent national ranking.

"While I was happy with the way the guys played, especially considering they were coming off final exams, there is still room for improvement in many areas," Michibata said. "Our doubles was very dependable and our depth in singles will also be an asset."

The Tigers next take that depth on the road to Seattle, Wash., where the ITA National Team Indoors tournament awaits them. While Princeton players might not be able to work on their tans there, they will be able to work on their rankings.