His parents may be his biggest supporters at the tennis courts, but Myles Bonnard prefers that his dad stays away when he plays. Not because of any sinister reasons but because of love.
“My dad used to come and watch all my matches. But he was always getting too stressed seeing me play. I told him not to come as I don’t him to be so stressed. Now its mom who comes along, “ said the 15-year-old.
With his father Patrick Bonnard “banned” from the stands, it is mom Vibona Som, who not only travels with Myles but also as him unofficial manager.
“My parents have been extremely supportive of me playing tennis. It is not only that they have been bringing me everywhere to play but also all the money they have spent on my tennis,” added Bonnard, who is playing in Cambodia for the first time.
He entered for both the boys singles and doubles at the 30th edition of the Tep Khunnah Memorial Cup, an ITF J30 event taking place at the Morodok Techo Tennis Complex.
After defeating Singaporean Andre Harnadi 7-5, 7-5 in the boy’s singles on Tuesday, he was beaten 6-3, 6-0 in the second round by Hong Kong’s Takuto Matsuo.
It was still a good outing for the youngster, who has just recently come back from a left wrist injury.
“I injured the wrist two years ago and had to stop playing for several months. And when I returned to competitive tennis, I injured the wrist again,” said Myles, playing in his first ITF event this season.
The injury forced Myles to change aspects of his game including to start playing one handed.
“I switched from double handed game to actually playing right handed four months ago after I recovered. I will need at least two surgeries to fix the left wrist,” he added.
However, the surgeries will have to wait as the doctors have advised him to wait until he was at least turn 18 before opting for it.
“It has something to do with my young age that could complicate matters as I grow older if I opt for surgery immediately,” said Myles, who is also taking the second round defeat here in his stride.
While he hopes to play collegiate tennis in the USA in the future, he also has a more important target in Cambodia. He holds dual French and Cambodian passports and is looking at representing Cambodia in the Davis Cup.
“I had no specific target here but just wanted to win matches to and improve my tennis,’ said Myles who also played in the boys doubles partnering Shreyanth Mahanthesha of India.
The pair were beaten 4-6, 1-6 by the Sri Lankan-Chinese pairing of Ganuka Fernando-Hao Yi Zhang on Tuesday.
“I want to know more about tennis in Cambodia and if things work out I want to be able to represent Cambodia by 2027/2028,” said Myles.
In the meantime, Myles, coached by former French International Achraf Okasha, is juggling between his studies and tennis.
“I am actually supposed to be in school now. I am missing two weeks of school to play here,” said the lad, whose idol is the legendary Roger Federer.
Myles, who also supports the Paris Saint German football team, said he catches up on school work online and distant learning with the full support from École Diagonale, where he is enrolled.
“For the past six years, my club (Azur Asnières) has also really supported me in improving my game,” said Myles.
SEEDS TUMBLE OUT
Meanwhile, there were plenty of surprises at the Tep Khunnah Memorial Cup. Second seeded Korean Bon Kong Koo was beaten 6-2, 6-2 in the boy singles second round by Chinese youngster Xu Haoxuan.
The seeds also came tumbling down in the girl’s singles. The second, fourth, fifth and sixth seeds all fell wayside in the second round.
Singapore’s unseeded Ng Kai Ning Chanya stunned second seeded Chen Qingan of China 6-4, 6-1 to move into the quarter-finals.
The Chinese duo of Shi Youwen and Chen Xiaozheng provided the surprises too. Youwen defeated Hong Kong’s fourth seeded Lara Rauti 6-2, 6-1 while Xiaozheng came back strongly to beat fifth seeded neutral athlete Fedor Evdokimov 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.
India’s Riya Gangamma Pudiyokkada picked off China’s sixth seeded Xu Yishan 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.
Also out in the girls doubles quarter-finals is the Hong Kong-China pairing of Lara Rauti-Xu Yishan. The second seeded pair scratch pair were beaten by the Chinese duo of Chen Qingan- Shi Youwen 5-7, 6-3, 10-5.
RESULTS
Boys Singles Second Round:
Shin Jaejun (Kor) [3] bt Tiancheng Li (Chn) 6-4, 6-2; Haoxuan Xu (Chn) bt Bon Hong Koo (Kor) [2] 6-2, 6-2; Yefei Song (Chn) bt Zhu Yunze (Chn) 7-6 (2), 6-2; Ganuka Fernando (Sri) [6] bt Shreyanth Mahanthesha (Ind) 6-3, 6-0; Yue Yu (Chn) bt Binh Bao Quan Phan (Vie) 6-2, 6-1; Takuto Matsuo (Hkg) [8] bt Myles Bonnard (Fra) 6-3, 6-0; Ethan Matthew KOH (SGP) [7] bt Run Ze SHI (Chn) 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
Boys Doubles Quarter-finals: Shun Jaejun-Bon Hong Koo (Kor) [1] bt Ganuka Fernando-Hao Yi Zhang (Sri-Chn) 6-0, 6-4; Yefei Song-Xu Haoxuan (Chn) bt Ethan Matthew Koh-Takuto Matsuo (Sgp-Hkg) [3] 6-7 (4), 6-1, 10-4; Kim Kyungone-Kim Se Hun (Kor) [4] bt Li Tiangchen-Rungu Tian (Chn) 3-6, 6-4, 10-7; Fedor Evdokimov-Joachim Mika Gunawan (Ain-Ina) bt Yue Yu-Zhu Yunze (Chn) bt 7-6 (3) 6-1
Girls Singles Second Round: Wang Hanyu (Chn) [8] bt Park Ha-an (Kor) 6-2, 6-3; Yang Zijie (Chn) [3] bt Nadine Ashlee Tio (Ina) 3-6, 6-2, 6-0; Chen Xiaozheng (Chn) bt Fedor Evdokimov [5] 5-7, 6-3, 6-2; Kai Ning Chanya Ng (Sgp) bt Chen Qingan (Chn) [2] 6-4, 6-1; Daania Daniella Hazli (Mas) [1] bt Mathea Hehe (Nor) 6-0, 6-1; Shi Youwen (Chn) bt Lara Rauti (Hkg) [4] 6-2, 6-1; Chi Pei-hsuan (Tpe) [7] bt Zican Yang (Chn) 6-4, 6-1; Ai Teng (Chn) [5] bt Amara Young (Gbr) 6-0, 6-0; Riya Gangamma Pudiyokkada (Ind) bt Xu Yishan (Chn) [6] 6-1, 1-6, 6-3
Girls Doubles Quarter-finals: Daania Daniella Hazli-Kai Ning Chanya Ng (Mas-Sgp) [1] bt Park Ha-an-Zican Yang (Kor-Chn) 6-0, 6-1; Wang Hanyu-Yang Zijie (Chn) [3] bt Riya Gangamma Pudiyokkada-Milanesa Briana Susanto (Ind-Ina) 6-3, 6-2; Chi Pei-hsuan-Ai Teng (Tpe-Chn) [4] bt Miku Matsuo-Mei Uchida (Jpn) 6-0, 6-0; Chen Qingan- Shi Youwen (Chn) bt Lara Rauti-Xu Yishan (Hkg-Chn) [2] 5-7, 6-3, 10-5
