Bun Kenny plays China Futures

Photo by: Sreng Meng Srun
Cambodian tennis No 1 Bun Kenny will play in the Hangzhou and Shanghai Men’s Asian Circuit Futures qualifiers over the next week.

via CAAI

Thursday, 16 September 2010 15:00 H S Manjunath

The Kingdom’s top ranked tennis player, Bun Kenny, is heading to the Chinese cities of Hangzhou and Shanghai, accompanied by national head coach Braen Aneiros, for a shot at two Men’s Asian Circuit Futures qualifiers next week.

It will be 18-year-old Bun Kenny’s third trip in the Asian region, after attempts to break into the ATP rankings at similar events in Malaysia and Thailand had proven fruitless.

His campaign in Thailand nearly a month ago ended on a scary note when he was rushed to a rural hospital near Bangkok with full body cramps after losing his second round qualifier to India’s Kaza Sharma. He was discharged in quick time with a note of caution from doctors that he should get a thorough check up on his return home.

“He is fine and fit now,” said coach Aneiros on Tuesday. “He went through some important tests and responded well to treatment for what doctors here believed was a case of calcium deficiency. He has been training well and shaping well on the court, and we are looking forward to this trip.”

Aneiros said Kenny’s results from his previous trips were “quite encouraging” considering the stiff competition.

“The gap between players ranked in the 900’s and unranked players who normally figured in these qualifiers was so narrow,” he said. “Kenny had slipped from good positions, like a couple of six-alls in the first set, where a crucial error in the tie break sealed his fate.

“In fact even in some of the straight set losses he held his own against some tough opponents. I feel, at least on paper, China should be relatively easy. But then Chinese unknowns are the most dangerous floaters in events like this.

“He has to keep working hard for his first ATP point. They don’t come easy.”

Aneiros believes that Kenny’s Chinese experience will stand him in good stead for the upcoming Asian Games in Guangzhou during the third week of November, which he will participate in with teammate Orn Sambath.