When senior Oded Teig first came to Oregon, some of his teammates asked him if he was unhappy with the small dorm rooms on campus.
Teig didn’t mind the size of his new dwelling because the tent he occupied during his three years of service in the Israeli army was significantly smaller.
“We could tell Oded would bring a lot of experience, both on and off the court, to our program,” head coach Chris Russell said. “He’s been through more than most people.”
Balancing academics and athletics while leading a young team through a tough tennis schedule would be stressful for anyone. Add to that the anxiety of approaching Oregon’s career record in singles victories while taking on some of the nation’s best players — well, that might be too much to ask.

Unless, of course, Teig is handling the situation. Teig began the season with 60 career wins, five shy of the record, and has fought through difficult matches at the No. 1 spot to put himself in a position to rank as one of the best in Oregon men’s tennis history.
That’s a lot of pressure. Even for a man with Teig’s maturity.
But somehow, when you’ve taken responsibility for the lives of 15 of your fellow countrymen as lieutenant commander of an artillery unit, it takes a lot more than tennis to be overwhelmed.
“It was a tough experience,” Teig said about going into the army. “But, nevertheless, I’m really happy that I did it.”
In fact, Teig’s biggest regret after three years of serving his country was that he didn’t get to play tennis, the game he’s loved since his father introduced him to it at the age of seven.
“I gained weight, I was out of shape,” Teig said about returning to tennis. “It took a while to get back into it.”
It didn’t take quite as long to get back to the form that earned him a No. 4 ranking in the Israeli 18-and-under division.
He took the Pacific-10 Conference by storm, going 22-11 in singles play from the No. 3 position his freshman year and followed up his rookie season with 21 wins from the No. 1 spot in just his second year of NCAA tennis.
“I wanted to compete at a high level,” Teig said during his freshman season. “And I think the Pac-10 is the highest.”
Teig found out just how difficult the Pac-10 can be as he suffered a disappointing season to post an 11-12 record last year while alternating with then-freshman Manuel Kost at the No. 1 position.
“Oded has seen the whole progression,” Russell said. “He’s been with us through good and bad years.”
Teig knows that better than anybody, and his optimism has prevailed throughout the ups and downs.
“Last year was a difficult year,” Teig said. “But I’m hoping this year will be the best.”
It definitely has all the makings to be just that. Not only are the Ducks off to a 4-1 start and feel they are improving, but Teig and his doubles partner, Sven Swinnen, have beaten some of the top duos in the nation.
“Sven and I know each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” Teig said. “And we are friends off the court, so we like to play together.”
Tennis with friends and a winning record might be enough for a good year for the Ducks, but Teig is also just three wins away from tying the Oregon singles wins record of 65.
Teig will continue his race to the record books this Saturday, when the Ducks face Boise State, and he will most likely take on No. 86 Guillaume Bouvier. With home matches against Pacific and California-Santa Barbara set for next weekend, there is a chance that Teig could tie the record in front of Eugene fans.
“The record will be fun,” Teig said. “For me, at the end of the year, it will be more important for the team to make it to the (NCAA) Tournament and advance.”
Teig doesn’t surprise anyone by putting the well-being of his team ahead of his own accomplishments. It wouldn’t surprise 15 men of a certain Israeli artillery unit either.