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Update: Pecotic '13 Reaches USONP Final Before Falling in U.S. Open Bid
August 19, 2015 | Men's Tennis
Watch a video interview with Pecotic from the USONP Championship
A bid to New York City and the U.S. Open men's singles qualifying draw was on the line, and all that separated Princeton tennis alum Matija Pecotic '13 was two tiebreakers.
Kentucky alum Jesse Witten defeated Pecotic in a battle of the U.S. Open National Playoff Championship's top two seeds 7-6(4), 7-6(3) in the final Monday, Aug. 24, putting Witten three wins from the main draw of the U.S. Open.
Pecotic, who made the final at the event two years ago as an unseeded player, was the No. 1 seed of the 16 men in the draw by virtue of his ATP worldwide ranking, which had him 287th as of Aug. 17. His career high was 284th, set earlier in August.
On the way to the final, Pecotic cruised through the first three rounds, never giving up more than three games in a set. Witten was similarly dominant, and when each set in the final came down to a tiebreak, both went Witten's way.
Pecotic won the USTA's Middle States regional championship in June, earning his bid to the National Playoff Championships. He defeated incoming freshman Jimmy Wasserman in that tournament's final.
While at Princeton, Pecotic built a resume that places him among the greats in program history, winning three Ivy League Player of the Year honors, two NCAA singles championship berths and Princeton's first ITA All-America honor in 29 years.