Tigers beat Big Green but fall to Crimson at ECAC

For senior Andrew Lieu, the Eastern College Athletic Conference Invitational at Flushing Meadows, N.Y., this past weekend was but another stepping stone on the road that he hopes will end with the men's tennis team claiming the Ivy League championship. One thing is certain: Lieu's high hopes for the season are reflected in the way he has been playing on the court.

As Princeton (1-1 overall, 1-1 Ivy League) defeated Dartmouth on Friday, 5-2, and fell to Harvard on Saturday by a 7-0 score at the National Tennis Center, Lieu recorded the best personal showing of the Tigers.

Against the No. 11 Big Green, Lieu partnered with junior Hans Plukas at No. 1 doubles, cruising to an 8-4 victory over their Dartmouth counterparts. The duo also claimed the lone Princeton victory, 8-5, against the Crimson.

Though Lieu lost the first set in a tiebreak against the Big Green's Ari Gayer at No. 3 singles, he rebounded to take the next two sets, 6-2, 6-2. His singles action against Harvard did not feature a similar comeback, however, and he dropped a three-set match.

Junior Sratha Saengsuwarn and freshman Alex Krueger-Wyman defeated Gayer and Jeff Schechtman of Dartmouth in a tiebreak at the No. 2 doubles spot to give the Tigers the doubles point. Saengsuwarn and Krueger-Wyman were also two-time winners on the day, taking the No. 2 and No. 6 singles games, respectively, in straight sets. Sophomore Andrew Husby won at No. 5 singles, persevering through a tough three-set match.

Though the 7-0 loss against No. 3 Harvard in the ECAC Invitational indicated a blowout, No. 6 Princeton put up a good fight. Lieu, Krueger-Wyman and Plukas all fell in closely contested three-set singles matches, and the Crimson claimed the doubles point, winning at No. 2 and 3 doubles.

It's fitting that Lieu's goals for the team are as high as the goals he has set for himself — the Tigers have the potential to establish themselves as fierce league competitors this season.

"As a senior, my main goal is help the team win the Ivy League Championship," Lieu said. "I'd really like to leave Princeton tennis with a legacy of striving for excellence. For the last few years, we've settled for third or fourth in the league, and this year we're hoping to change all that."

As this weekend's games indicate, though the Tigers have demonstrated aspects of strong play, they still have room to make significant improvements.

"I do believe we have what it takes to all be successful individually," Lieu said, "but if we're going to win, we'll have to play as a single unit. Right now we're not quite at that point."

Indeed, recognizing that there's room for improvement — and then improving — is the goal of the fall tennis season. Spring Ivy League competition is still a long way off, but the hunt for the title has already begun.

"This weekend we learned that we have some stuff to work on," Lieu said, "but we certainly have the tools to get the job done."