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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Notes from Tennis Teams' Trip to France
June 11, 2010 | Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis
Every four years, the Princeton Tennis teams are treated to the Marx Tour, an endowed trip in which up to eight varsity men and eight varsity women travel abroad with their coaches to experience the culture of European cities and to compete in international tennis events.
Day 9 • June 11, 2010 • Charlie Brosens
A large shark was chasing me through the water carrying a giant tennis racquet trying to smash me over the head with it. Suddenly, it caught up and swung... Then I woke up. Sigh. It was just a dream. I looked at the clock. 8am. My match was at 10. I had won yesterday but it didn't matter unless I put together one more stunning performance. Yes, this next one would be my Picasso. There was only one thing I had to do before I stepped onto the court:
Turn pro! [Note: Brosens is a member of the Princeton Class of 2010] I got everyone's attention together to inform the tournament about my decision. This was the prize-money round and amateurs cannot accept monetary prizes that extend beyond their expenses. Amateur status. A thing of the past. Fifteen minutes after orating and crying and spilling my heart out to the French crowd, I realized not one single person understood me. Then I spotted Michael Lin. But he didn't understand me either. He was busy smiling, devouring a pizza. No matter. I'd show them...
Two hours of gut wrenching battle later I had perished, 7-6, 6-3. I had played my best and left it all out there. There was nothing to be ashamed about. The tears flowed like rain during a thunderstorm.
It is easy to play with the thought, "You know this doesn't really matter," or "Whatever, I'd prefer to be at the beach." But I have to say, when you stop smiling and pretending like you don't care, and you put yourself out there fully exposed, a loss does hurt. But, after the pain subsides, there is literally no better feeling than the pride which remains and lasts years after your beach tan has faded.
Day 8 • June 10, 2010 • Rachel Saiontz
Last night I didn't sleep well. Was it the big match I had the next day that was on my mind? The alarm clock went off, and I never thought I would make it out of bed, but I did. Everyone gets knocked down. The champions always get up. I went down to eat breakfast with my mentor, our own Yoda: Coach Megan Bradley. It was just me and her at the breakfast table. Victory I see for you. That's not exactly what she said. But her eyes spoke for her. After devouring a few raw eggs, part of my daily regimen, Megan and I marched to the courts. KA-POW. BAM. We crushed the ball back and forth. Two hours later, we left the courts just as we came. Hungry and determined, but not thirsty.
Fifteen minutes before the match began I saw my opponent doing pliometrics, and not the type you do in your average gym. The ground shook. You couldn't even see her feet they were moving so fast. It was a whirlwind of power. I stepped onto the court and began to size her up. I thought I had the advantage. And I was right, I walked off the court the same way I walked on: not thirsty, undefeated, and hungry for bigger opponents. ROAR. I stuck around to watch Monica [Chow], [Matt] Siow, and Charlie [Brosens] continue to dominate.
As I always say, "Of all your troubles, great and small, the greatest are the ones that don't happen at all. He who falls in love with himself will have no rivals."
Day 7 • June 9, 2010 • Yohei Shoji
The day started abruptly for me as the 8 am wake up call jarred me from my peaceful sleep. Until yesterday I had been waking up early because of the jet lag, but the fatigue from playing my first match yesterday may have caught up with me. Nevertheless, after going downstairs and gulping down some orange juice and chocolate croissants, I felt refreshed and ready for competition. My thirst for battle was not to be satisfied until some 10 hours later, however, as my match was scheduled for 6 pm. In the meantime, I watched several of my teammates put on stellar performances and pull out great victories, overcoming language and age barriers in the process. Personally, I was able to perform better today than in my match yesterday against an agile 15-year-old, hitting the ball solidly to defeat my veteran opponent.
After our competition for the day was complete and we had all showered up, we went to a great restaurant that we had found the day before. It was a dinner filled with much laughter, funny waiters, and most importantly, delicious food. Although our search down the beach for ice cream proved to be futile, the stroll was a nice, relaxing way to end an exciting day. Thanks again to the Marx family and all others involved for making this trip possible, and look out for updates of another successful day tomorrow!
Day 6 • June 8, 2010 • Sarah Hoffman
Today I woke up with butterflies in my stomach. What time was it? Game time. I went down to breakfast to a rousing greeting from my coach and teammates. The food smelled delicious. Chocolate croissants were on the menu. So was victory. After breakfast, we headed to the courts. The team looked light on their feet. I looked to my left and saw Rachel [Saiontz] roast a backhand cross court winner. I looked to my right and Hilary [Bartlett] slid into a graceful drop shot. It was a solid hit.
We stopped at a quaint panini stand and I mingled with the locals a bit. Parlez-vous francais? While some of the girls went shoe shopping, Monica [Chow] and I decided to stay behind and visualize our upcoming matches. We could see the patterns developing in our heads. Backhand crosscourt, forehand down the line, volley crosscourt, overhead smash. Forty-five minutes later, we joined up with our teammates and the boys team and headed to the courts. First round in the Cannes Open, we matched up well against the competition. I used my size advantage and cannon serve to easily dispatch of my young opponent. We ended the day with Princeton Tennis 4 and 0. I had worked up quite an appetite. We had a lovely dinner in Cannes after stopping at the site of the Cannes Film Festival for some photos. It was truly a night to remember.
Day 5 • June 7, 2010 • Ryan Kim
Today Princeton tennis avoided near disaster. Coach Michibata instructed everyone to be in the hotel lobby, ready to leave for Cannes at 7:45 am. On my way downstairs in the elevator I realized that my pockets were unusually light. I did not have my passport. As I approached the group, Coach Bradley instantly sensed that something was wrong from the look on my face. Upon hearing my predicament, Coach Michibata's jaw hit the floor. "Here we go again" he must have been thinking. I knew time was of the essence and my senses sharpened. Like a savage tiger, I ripped through my bags. I was relieved to find it hidden in my dirty clothes. An important lesson was learned today: Give your passport to coach.
We arrived in Cannes around 1 pm. After we ate lunch, the boys went for a training session on the red clay. I felt like I was playing at the Roland Garros sliding around on the courts, except they may have been a tad more slippery. Our hotel is located by the sea and on our walk to dinner we strolled by the beach on the sidewalk. Gazing out over the water, I felt very lucky to be here with the team and Coach Michibata. After a delicious dinner, we capped off the night with some gelato. I'm looking forward to what tomorrow brings.
Day 4 • June 6, 2010 • Hilary Bartlett
Today was our last day in Paris, and what a day it was! We woke up early to beat the crowds at the Louvre and spent the morning roaming around the museum in small groups. We managed to squeeze our way through throngs of people and get pictures in front of the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, and other great masterpieces, and then wandered through the smaller wings of the museum looking at Egyptian antiquities and early Renaissance art. After a full morning we grabbed a nice lunch at a sidewalk cafe across the street from the Louvre. Half of the group headed to Notre Dame after lunch, while another group went to the Latin Quarter to window shop and enjoy some gelato. After a quick nap and a jog through the neighborhood, we went to dinner near the base of the Eiffel Tower, near Rafael Nadal's favorite part of town. After catching some of his French Open final on TV after lunch, we were hoping to catch a glimpse of the recently crowned French Open champion, but unfortunately he had other plans. After four wonderful days in Paris, we are all headed for Cannes tomorrow on an early morning flight. Off to bed!
Day 3 • June 5, 2010 • Matt Siow
Hello everybody! Saturday was a very eventful day here in Paris. After an awesome breakfast and morning training at the Tennis Club de Paris, we went to Roland Garros to watch some matches at the French Open. First, we were lucky enough to see Rafael Nadal on the practice courts as he prepared for his final against Robin Soderling tomorrow. It is really amazing how much you do not see on TV.
The highlight of the day had to be the women's final, where Francesca Schiavone beat Sam Stosur. What made it so awesome was not that she won, but that my teammate Matija Pecotic and I were right in the middle of Schiavone's seating area with all of her Italian supporters. After she won, she was so excited that she came up into the stands to greet her supporters she gave hugs to everyone, and we were right in the middle of everything! It was definitely an unforgettable experience, and it sure made Matija's day a lot better, especially after he lost to me in the fast serve contest.
To wrap up the day we went up the Eiffel Tower and grabbed dinner in a restaurant nearby. We even got to try escargot, which I loved but made my teammate Ryan Kim cringe. I am so grateful to the Marx family for making all of this possible, and this has been a day that I definitely will never forget.
Day 2 • June 4, 2010 • Monica Chow
Bonjour tout le monde! It is day two in Paris and so far this trip has been an eye-opening experience. I would like to thank Louis Marx for endowing this trip and giving us this opportunity to play tennis, sightsee, and experience French culture. We started our day with a very impressive breakfast buffet at our hotel which comprised of french baguettes, nutella, cheese, eggs, chocolate croissants, salami - almost everything you can think of. We then headed to the Tennis Club de Paris to practice for an hour and randomly met former ATP professionals Justin Gimelstob and Stan Smith. After, we had a relaxing lunch at the club. Then was match time! We played sets up to five games versus former and current NCAA college players in doubles and mixed doubles. The girls went undefeated and the overall score was 10-4 for Princeton so it was a very productive day. Tomorrow, we head to the French Open and will watch some matches. For now, au revoir!
Day 1 • June 3, 2010 • Michael Lin
The first day in France for the Princeton tennis teams began with much excitement and anticipation, and tiredness. After arriving in Paris in the early morning, we took a charter bus to our hotel, passing along the way many well-known areas and places. Upon arriving at our hotel after a bit of traffic, we loaded all of our baggage in one room since we couldn't check in to all the rooms until later in the day. It was a mess but we managed. Next was brunch at a nice little restaurant next to the hotel. After eating minimal food on the flight, we were all very satisfied after brunch. Then it was back to the room. All nine men cramped together in room 849, watching a little Rafael Nadal in French Open, with Matija marveling at his performance. Next we met with Mark Legris, organizer of this Marx Tour. We are definitely very thankful for all his help and support of Princeton tennis. Though we had expected to enjoy the day free of exercise, Coach Michibata surprised the men with a running workout! While the women went to shop, the men ran through the streets of Paris, and we struggled to keep up with coach but made it back to the hotel without harm. The best part of the run: running through a cemetery on the way back and encountering an angry guard who blurted something out in French, and even though we did not know what he said, we knew that we should stop running since that is all we were doing! After entering our hotel rooms and quick showers, we headed for Champs-Elysees for some sightseeing. After visiting the Arc de Triumph, we headed down the street for some wonderful window shopping, but instantly we became bored, adding on to our fatigue from the traveling and the running. Most made it to a wonderful dinner, and it was clear that everyone was very tired. Taking the subway back to the hotel was some of the best news we had heard. Of course, seeing the fantastic sights of Paris was awesome and we are all very excited for the days to come!