Kep’s poster boy Sen Sophon led his coastal city to the men’s team championship in the ongoing National Games tennis at the Olympic Stadium yesterday. But Hour Sreypov’s long unbeaten streak in domestic competition came crashing down after she was beaten in the women’s singles final by Rin Sotheary representing the National Police.
On her way to the final, Hour Sreypov, who represented Cambodia in the WTA Future Stars event in Singapore last year, needed three sets to overcome Meth Mariyan, while Sotheary won her semifinal against Ho Sreynoch on her own terms at 6-1, 6-1.
The final turned out to be an anticlimax, with Sotheary romping home in style at 6-0, 6-1. In the third-place playoff, Ho Sreynoch got past Meth Mariyan 6-2, 6-2With both Phnom Penh’s top singles players suffering cramp the previous day, the team had no option but to field the juniors in the hope that they could keep Kep at bay in the men’s team finals.
But that calculation went wrong after Sen Sophon bounced back from a first set loss to oust Khleang Ponlok 3-6, 6-2, 6-0. Former Davis Cupper and Kep’s top ranked player Doeum Samsocheaphearun wrapped up the tie for his team with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Chheang Vannasith.
With the tie clinched at 2-0, Kep lost the dead doubles, with Phnom Penh’s Bun Kenny and Our Sarith beating Chen Samphors and Sen Sophon 6-0, 6-0.
In the third-place playoff Army blanked Siem Reap 3-0 with Pil Vanna beating Vann Sear 6-0, 6-0 in the first singles followed by Yi Keavirak trouncing Yi Kimhoy 6-1,6-0. Vanna and Keavirak won the doubles beating Chak Vuthy and Dann Rann 6-3, 6-2.
