Tep played primarily doubles, building lots of chemistry with the team. Tep helped them get to a 2-2 record with a 2-2 record of his own. Although he lost his lone singles game, he bounced back and went 2-1 in doubles. The lone singles game was against a Saudia Arabian native who plays at UVA. Tep explained that it was a very hard-fought match, but the ball didn’t roll his way.
Coach Martin Perry was not surprised by the announcement of Tep playing in the Davis Cup because he has shown that he is a great player and is very capable of playing on that big of a stage.
Tep was the one that was surprised about the announcement when it was brought to him during the spring. He was not expecting to play this year, but he was very excited and happy to play with the Cambodian National Team. Tep’s father, the captain of the team, was the one that announced the big news to him.
Being on the national team with players that are older and more experienced, Tep explained that he learned many things on how to play smarter, more efficient, and stronger. “My favorite part was being with the team, I always wanted to travel, practice and spend time with the team” Tep said.
Perry also explained that Tep playing in the Davis Cup was great for the program and essentially motivated all of his teammates to work even harder. “It was great for our program… it definitely made the guys want to work harder seeing him get professional training throughout the whole event,” Perry said.
Tep isn’t just a regular tennis player; he has a huge skillset and has an array of weapons in his bag. Coach Perry explained that the way he competes and his professionalism is what separates him from the average player.
Tep said that he really enjoyed his time with the team and playing in the Davis Cup. “Although I missed three weeks of school, I hope to be able to participate again and come back even stronger,” said Tep.
Miles Christian
mmchristian@vwu.edu
