By Bill Alden

Having faced a gauntlet of tough foes over the first two weeks of the spring, the Princeton Day School boys’ tennis team has proven that it is ready for the challenges ahead.

“I love having a tough schedule so there aren’t any surprises when you get to the tournaments,” said PDS head coach Michael Augsberger, whose team has started 6-1 with wins over such formidable squads as Haddonfield, Germantown Academy (Pa.), Rutgers Prep, Hun, and Peddie. “The tournaments are what matter; we have time to fine-tune things. We are really proud of what the guys have accomplished, particularly with the Germantown match.”

Augsberger believes that sophomore Heyang Li can accomplish a lot this spring at first singles.

“Heyang has the mindset of a professional, that is the way he trains,” said Augsberger, noting that Li focused on USTA tournaments as a freshman before joining the Panther squad this spring. “He just saw the fun that they guys have. He loves the group of guys that we have; that helped him warm up to the idea of playing team tennis. He knows those other guys look to him and he wants to be seen doing the right thing, making sure that the guys see him committed in practice.”

Li does a lot of good things on the court. “I have seen really quick hands and he is lightning quick,” added Augsberger. “I love the way he volleys the ball and his touch. He is really fast, and he gets to things too.”

Augsberger loves having senior Joshua Chu at second singles. “That is the great thing about the team, that Josh plays two,” said Augsberger. “He is a No. 1 that a lot of teams would kill for, and we get to have him at No. 2. He is our senior leader along with Farhan Mohammad. It is incredible to have him playing there. He has got great touch too; I love the way that he mixes up shots. He is a shorter guy and uses his speed.”

Another senior, Jason Wu, is playing well at third singles. “What is crazy about his game is that he is the only person that anyone is going to see that serves left-handed but hits righty,” said Augsberger. “He switches his hands, people don’t realize that. That goes with his game, he throws a lot of spin and a lot of kicks, not that he doesn’t have power.”

At first doubles, senior Oliver Silverio has been a staple and can be paired with juniors Jaylen Peng and Steven Li.

“We started out with Silverio and Peng, but we are definitely going to try out Silverio and Steven Li; we are going to see which pairing is the best and the better of that two,” said Augsberger. “Silverio has won two Prep B first doubles titles, one with Aaron Phogat and won with Neel Adusumilli. I play all of the guys in practice, and this is the first time Oliver beat me. Why he beat me is what impressed me the most, he has probably the highest tennis IQ. He made some incredibly smart shots; he continues to do that in matches and that is why he is where he is.”

Peng and Li boast an impressive skill set. “They have both made strides, they are both playing at a higher level than last year,” said Augsberger. “Steven is more of a singles player and you would think that is why I would put Jaylen at first doubles. Jaylen is big, he has a huge serve. What won us the second doubles Prep B title last year was his huge forehand. You would think he would be the guy to put in at first doubles, but we are really impressed with what Steven has done this year.”

Senior Mohammad and freshman Avi Saran have been seeing action at second doubles.

“Mohammad is the senior leader; he is the guy we rely on to get the chemistry together,” said Augsberger. “We have an influx of freshman guys who are all inexperienced but the game is there. The two guys who know how to compete are Saran and Jacobo Garcia-Carillo from Madrid.”

Looking ahead to the Mercer County Tournament, which is slated for April 24 and 26, Augsberger believes that Panthers can compete for the title.
“We always go in with the mentality that we want to win the counties,” said Augsberger, whose team hosts the Blair Academy on April 19 to tune up for the MCT. “This year, especially, we think the pieces are there. We want to be in the conversation for it. The goal is to peak at the tournaments.”