Courtesy: Princeton Athletic Communications Zack McCourt provided the clincher as Princeton beat Western Michigan 5-2 Thursday.

Starting off its dual meet season with a win, the Princeton men's tennis team beat Western Michigan 5-2 Thursday evening to begin its three-match trip to Michigan.

The Tigers will head to No. 20 Michigan Friday for a 7 p.m. match and No. 40 Michigan State Saturday for a 2 p.m. match.

"It's nice to go on the road and get the first win of the year," Princeton's first-year head coach Billy Pate said. "Western Michigan fought hard and did a good job of clawing into the match after we went up 3-0. I felt we had some first-match jitters and didn't close out some games when we had momentum. Nonetheless, I'm pleased with the way came out with energy to get a lead in each doubles match. We're looking forward to improving and taking on a very tough Michigan team Friday night."

Matija Pecotic, in his first match since attaining the nation's No. 2 singles ranking earlier this month, beat Western Michigan's top player, Nadin Indre, 6-3, 6-2, while teaming with Zack McCourt as part as the nation's No. 11 doubles pair to beat Indre and Ruben Greiner 8-4 and help the Tigers to the doubles point.

McCourt's and Pecotic's match was the clincher for the evening's first point after Augie Bloom and Matt Siow beat Marc Shideler and Aaron Wong 8-3.

Singles wins from Pecotic and Dan Richardson put Princeton on the edge of clinching the win, but Western Michigan pulled within 3-2 by winning at third and fourth singles. McCourt then provided the clincher with a three-set win over Ross VanderPloeg before freshman Jonathan Carcione got his first collegiate dual-meet win in a three-setter against Andrew Cahn to make the 5-2 final.

Princeton (1-0) 5, Western Michigan (3-3) 2
Doubles
1. (11) McCourt/Pecotic (P) def. Greiner/Indre (W), 8-4
2. Dan Davies/Spindler (P) def. Cahn/VanderPloeg (W), 8-6
3. Bloom/Matt Siow (P) def. Marc Shideler/Wong (W), 8-3
Order of finish: 3,1,2
Singles
1. (2) Matija Pecotic (P) def. Nadin Indre (W), 6-3, 6-2
2. Zack McCourt (P) def. Ross VanderPloeg (W), 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
3. Aaron Wong (W) def. Matt Spindler (P), 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
4. Ruben Greiner (W) def. Augie Bloom (P), 5-7, 6-2, 7-5
5. Dan Richardson (P) def. Pablo Mora (W), 6-3, 6-4
6. Jonathan Carcione (P) def. Andrew Cahn (W), 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
Order of finish: 1,5,4,3,2,6