Preyer, Shoji post wins in Big Apple

The Tigers posted a mixed performance at the three-day event, with unexpectedly strong showings from two underclassmen, sophomore Parker Preyer and freshman Yohei Shoji, and disappointingly early exits for two of the squad’s top players, senior Alex Vuckovic and junior George Carpeni. Carpeni pulled out of his first-round match against Harvard’s Will Guzick with a knee injury.

After struggling in recent weeks, Preyer hoped to turn his season around with a strong performance. He succeeded. The sophomore dropped his first match against Texas-Arlington’s Adam Srkala but swept the back draw with victories against Monmouth’s Ben Evenden, St. John’s Gustavo Loza and Columbia’s Mike Bohnen.

“I have not had a great fall season, so I wanted to stay positive and prove to myself and to the coaches that the hard work [at practice] was paying off in real, pressure-filled matches,” Preyer said. “Hopefully, I can carry this momentum into the regular spring season.”

In the C draw, Shoji, a walk-on from Japan, reached the semifinals after winning three matches against rivals from Monmouth, Columbia and Sacred Heart before falling 6-4, 6-4 to Penn’s Justen Roth.

Vuckovic hoped to match Shoji’s dominance in his A draw first-round match against Columbia’s Mihai Nichifor. The Valrico, Fla., native came in with high expectations, but Nichifor took an early lead, and Vuckovic never recovered. He went on to lose, 6-2, 6-1.

“I [should] have played more aggressive in the first round,” Vuckovic said. “I was too tentative and passive. I let the other guy control play, and he dominated me.”

Princeton’s real test comes next weekend, as the Tigers head to New Haven, Conn., for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regional.

“I think that tournament will be a better indication of where we are as a team right now,” Preyer said.

If the Orange and Black can avoid injuries, it should be formidable a challenger to reigning Ivy League champion Harvard.

Capkovic stumbles in Tulsa

While his teammates played in New York City, star senior Peter Capkovic was in Tulsa, Okla., at the D’Novo ITA All-American Tournament. Capkovic, last year’s Ivy League Tennis Player of the Year, got knocked out in the first round by Texas A&M’s Conor Pollock, 6-4, 6-2.