Tennis: Squads achieve mixed results over weekend

Freshman Matt Siow of the men's tennis team pulled through crucial moments in his game against Northwestern's Sidarth Balaji on Saturday by serving consecutive aces in a key tiebreaker round in the first game, and then again in the second game to finish Balaji off.

Though Princeton (2-4) started by winning the doubles point, Siow's win was Princeton's only singles victory against Northwestern (7-3).

“Even though we lost the majority, we played them in the right way," head coach Glenn Michibata said. "It's just a matter of executing a little bit better, but the guys showed a lot of grit, a lot of belief and a lot of commitment to what we're doing, and what else can you ask for as a coach?”

Senior co-captain Charlie Brosens fought off Northwestern's Joshua Graves for close on-the-line points and impressively long rallies that lasted over 30 shots.

“The decisions like what they should be trying, when and where — they've got that in their heads. It’s just a matter of perfecting the execution," Michibata said.

The Tigers also weren't holding back. Even in tight, crucial situations, players gave it their all by running to the net for bold volleys and then forcing opponents to sprint to return a drop shot.

"Our strategy is to be very aggressive and to provoke a lot of things, which means we take a lot of risks,” Michibata said. "What I was really proud of was that at the biggest moments this afternoon, our guys really went and played aggressively at the right time.”

While Northwestern is currently ranked No. 44, it won't be surprising if by the end of the year the Wildcats are in the top 30 or even top 25.

"They're better than their ranking is, as you'll see later in the season. They'll probably be moving up, so it was a really good test for us, and really encouraging," Michibata said. "The other thing to think about is that we're playing without one of our best players, so throw him in the mix, and who knows what happens?”

Injuries are still forcing out players who normally form the top of the lineup. Junior Ryan Kim, who has played No. 3 singles for the past year, was only able to play one match back in September.

Freshman No. 1 singles player Matija Pecotic will also not be in the lineup until Ivy League play starts.

The women's tennis team also played Big Ten teams this weekend, as they travelled to Minneapolis, Minn., to face Iowa and No. 55 Minnesota.

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Princeton (7-4) rebounded from a close 4-3 loss to Iowa (6-2) to defeat Minnesota 5-2.

"I was also really proud of the way our doubles played, especially our No. 3 team, senior Melissa Saiontz and junior Sarah Hoffman," head coach Megan Bradley said. "They keep improving with each match, and that’s great to see as a coach. [Junior] Blakely Ashley has been a rock for us, and [sophomore] Hilary Bartlett was firing on all cylinders at the No. 1 position."

Even with a new coaching staff, the team and the coaches are quickly working together to produce across-the-board wins in singles and doubles to defeat a No. 55 team.

"I was impressed with how the girls fought for every point and had a real sense of urgency on the court. It was really a team effort across the board, and that’s what it takes to win big matches," Bradley said.

With the first half of the season almost over, both teams are beginning to focus on Ivy League play.

"At the beginning of the year, the team set the goals of repeating as Ivy League Champions, winning our first NCAA match in program history and continuing to improve each time they step on the court," Bradley said.

On the men's side, the Tigers have the same aim. The men's season will be particularly interesting, as there is no standout Ivy League favorite so far.

“There are seven teams who have a legitimate shot," Michibata said. "It's very tight."