No. 63 Tigers continue win streak

Despite its ultimate 6-1 margin of victory, the men's tennis team (6-1) looked like it was going to cut things close against Stony Brook (4-4) on Saturday afternoon in Jadwin Gym. After Princeton jumped to a 3-0 lead by winning the doubles point and two quick singles matches, the final four Tiger singles competitors went into tight third sets while trying to earn the team's match-clinching fourth victory.

"With Stony Brook, we're favored to win," head coach Glenn Michibata said. "But in some ways, when you have that expectation, it's harder to win — you play safe."

After two wins and a loss secured the doubles point, freshman George Carpeni snagged the first singles win for Princeton, topping Youssef Fassi-Fehri, 6-2, 6-0, at the No. 3 spot. Soon after Carpeni left the court, senior captain Sratha Saengsuwarn executed a down-the-line passing shot to finish off Nihal Advani in No. 2 singles, 6-2, 6-1.

Forty-five minutes after Saengsuwarn's win, senior Ted Mabrey secured the Tigers' overall victory in a tiebreaker triumph over Jon Epsteat at No. 5 singles. After dominating in the first set and being dominated, 6-0, in the second one, Mabrey was neck-and-neck with Epstein in the final set before finally pulling out the 6-2, 0-6, 7-6 (3) win.

"[It was] very up and down, but I toughed out a close victory," Mabrey said. "All in all, it's a good day when you get the win."

Junior Andrew Husby suffered Princeton's only loss at No. 6 singles in yet another closely contested third set. Plagued by injuries this season, the match was Husby's first of the year.

At No. 4 singles, sophomore Alex Vuckovic prevailed over Ilan Shvartz, 7-6, 4-6, 6-2. Both Vuckovic and Saengsuwarn have maintained perfect singles records this season, with records of 4-0 and 5-0, respectively.

Meanwhile, Sophomore No. 1 Peter Capkovic and his trademark bandana battled it out with Stony Brook ace Quirijn van Veen for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 comeback win. In a match characterized by heavy hitting in the backcourt and long points, the momentum swung back and forth between the two players.

The first set stayed even until 4-5, when van Veen broke Capkovic's serve to win the set.

"I just wasn't focused enough. I wasn't playing for the win," Capkovic said. "I just focused on my shots, which wasn't good."

Capkovic responded to his first-set loss with a backhand down the sideline to break van Veen's serve and an ace to open his ensuing serving game. He kept it up for a 6-2 victory in the second set, then raced out to a 3-0 lead in the third. Though van Veen made several comeback attempts, Capkovic never lost the lead, winning the final set 6-4.

Capkovic's leadership at No. 1 singles has been crucial to Princeton's overall success.

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"The team walks in and we've got the best player in that match," Michibata said. "That makes the other guys walk taller in their shoes a little bit. The great thing about Peter is not just the leadership he provides on the court, [but also] what he does off court. He's one of the most humble guys I've ever met, and he's got the highest GPA on the team ... he brings so much more to the table than just his tennis."

With quiet leaders like Capkovic and Saengsuwarn guiding the team, Princeton has had an outstanding season thus far. The Tigers' only loss was against No. 27 Alabama in late February, and currently they are on a four-match winning streak. Recently, the Tigers moved up to No. 63 in the FILA Collegiate Tennis Rankings.

"This is the best team we've had," Michibata said. "I hope they read about it and understand and accept that responsibility. We have tremendous potential this year, but we still have some work to do."

Princeton will have a chance to develop and prove its mettle over spring break with four matches in California, three of which will be against ranked opponents.