Written by: Alvin Tor
Edited by: Cheng Kai Wen
Photos by: Eusoff Works
Eusoff Badminton F team have battled hard to get into the finals and they are facing none other than Temasek once again for the title. An el Classico matchup. Will they be able to bring home the trophy?
1st singles: Queenie (13-21, Walkover)
Captain Queenie had a slow start as her opponent made solid smashes right from the start that caught Queenie off-guard causing her to be trialing right from get-go. She battled hard for every point, making clever sharp shots but her opponent having a sizeable lead had more room for error, allowing her to take more aggressive plays that proved too difficult for Queenie, losing the first set 13-21. The second set saw a similar story where her opponent had a convincing lead. However, Queenie was getting in the zone and we saw her building momentum as she steadily racked up points. All of a sudden, a smart shot by Queenie that forced her opponent to frantically chase after the shuttle caused her to fall and unfortunately landing in the wrong way, heavily injuring her knee in the process. Temasek demonstrated their fighting spirit as the player attempted to resume playing but the pain was too much to handle and she conceded the match shortly. Queenie took the first match due to a walkover, surely not the way she would have wanted to win.
Queenie expertly placing her shots.
1st doubles: Huilin and Ashlyn (21-18, 14-21, 6-21)
Huilin and Ashlyn played an exciting three set match. The first set was the closest. Huilin’s smashes combined with Ashlyn’s clever drop shot were too much for Temasek to handle for the first set. However, the second set saw Temasek employing an interesting strategy where they were concentrating a lot of the shuttle to Ashlyn and ferociously smashing all her returns. The Temasek duo’s smashes were simply the breaking point for them as they quickly racked up points and closed out the second set. The third set saw them employ the same strategy that our Eusoff duo could not find an answer to. They lost the third set and the match.
Calm and composed in everything she does.
2nd singles: Elis (17-21, 21- 17, 16-21)
Elis, undefeated so far in IHG finally found herself a worthy opponent that is also wearing the yellow band of pride. The three sets were all close, both players were equal in skill, agility and athleticism. It was truly a beautiful display of badminton when both players are equal and playing phenomenally . However, Temasek narrowly beats Elis with her strong serve and a couple of lucky shots that saw the shuttle scrap over the net. These created a small point gap that enabled her opponent to play more aggressively and eventually that was the deciding factor for the third set.
Our favourite sportswoman of the year :>
2nd doubles Clarice and Zhiyi (21-18, 17-21, 21-18)
The match that had no scoreboard and I was desperately trying my hardest to keep track of the score amidst all the commotion and cheering. Clarice and Zhiyi were in perfect harmony, smartly covering each other’s back when their partner was out of position. Their teamwork and of course their individual skill shine through as Clarice made multiple smashes with her left hand that her opponent were not used to. They quickly took the first set. The second set saw the duo playing a close game as you would expect when you are playing against Temasek but the duo made a few too many errors such as service errors and smashing out. They conceded far too many unforced points and Temasek took advantage of it. The third set was so intense, they were fighting hard for every point and even harder for the next. However, we managed to edge out the victory all thanks to Clarice who tied up her hair Ahjuma style. This slight modification allowed her to see the shuttle clearer and faster, unhindered by the random strands of hair that would float around her eyes and it was indeed the difference maker as she made far less offensive errors and won the third set.
The doubles pair that kept us in the run!
3rd singles: Charlyn (21-17, 21-17)
With the score tied at 2-2, it all comes down to the final match and who better to fight this battle than our notable freshie Charlyn. Charlyn was in commanding control for the first set, her corner shots were pin-point accurate. There were several occasions where her opponent made the wrong judgment call because of how sharp and close Charlyn was hitting the shuttle to. The crowd erupted as she won the first set. With one set left, Charlyn kept her foot on the pedal, knowing that momentum is on her side, she smashed every shuttle with much aggression. She was in complete control of the game as she was leading the entire time. The pressure from playing the final set and trialing the entire time, along with the eruption from Eusoffians for every point that Charlyn scored caused Temasek to fumble and smash the shuttle out for the last point. With that, Charlyn closed the match and the game, bringing back the trophy to Eusoff.
Roar of pride for the girl that brought the trophy home!
Inspired by Kanye West, everybody wants to know what the badminton F team would do if they didn’t win. I guess we’ll never know. *mic drop*
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