Men's Tennis: Team benefits from international influences

Junior Yohei Shoji is from Japan, sophomore Matija Pecotic is from Malta and freshman Dan Davies is from New Zealand.

Coming from foreign countries has had a definite impact on the academic and athletic experiences of these athletes, but these players have had no trouble fitting in and making strong contributions to the team. For example, Pecotic often plays first singles, showing his quick adjustment.

Davies downplays the differences between the United States and his homeland but is well aware that most Americans perceive New Zealand as an exotic and agrarian place.

When asked about New Zealand, Davies joked about its mistaken association with “The Lord of the Rings” franchise.

“Well, I live in the Shire. My best friend is Sam. My girlfriend’s called Mary, and I have a cousin named Pippin,” he said.

“Actually, it’s a lot like America. It’s just a lot more relaxed and smaller. You know everyone around, and you’re always on the water. It’s good.”

Sophomores Matt Siow and Matt Spindler agreed that their teammates’ nationality and background have had minimal impact on team chemistry.

Siow noted that a quarter of the team is from California, a fact that has little bearing on the dynamics of the team. In fact, international diversity may give Princeton an edge against more homogeneous teams that have had less exposure to different styles of play.

When applying to colleges, Davies was not necessarily expecting to attend school in the United States but knew that he wanted to play tennis in college, in part because of the team system.

“It’s unbelievable — usually [in tennis] you’re so antisocial and you’re playing for yourself,” Davies said. “This gives you a chance to play for a team, which is good.”

Davies has been injured this season, so he describes himself as the team’s “number one cheerleader,” but his charisma has made the transition to athletics and life in America fairly easy.

“He knows how to have a good time, and he’s probably one of the funniest people I know,” freshman Dan Richardson said.

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The same can be said for Pecotic, who has come to accept a great deal of responsibility for the team and is widely known on campus for his unique personality and sense of humor.

Their foreign backgrounds have also given these athletes unique athletic opportunities before college.

For example, Davies represented New Zealand on national tours before coming to Princeton, and Pecotic won a number of Maltese championships in his pre-Tiger years.

The Tigers are currently 3-1 in team-scored matches. They will play in the ECAC Men’s Indoor Tennis Championships this weekend in Massachusetts and will begin true conference play at the end of March.

Check out a video of our interview with Dan Davies online at dailyprincetonian.com.