Written by: David Arthur Powell
Edited by: Angelina Grace Pandiman
Photos by: Eusoff Works
With good weather conditions to bless today’s matches, the Eusoff female tennis team came to the courts in high spirits, confident in their ability to win. Their confidence was not misplaced, as their opponent today, KE, was completely unprepared for the storm that they were about to face.
Freshies series star Manali started the first singles with a bang; a service ace right off the bat followed by strong forehand returns that left her opponent feeling dazed. Her opponent had hardly even touched the ball before the first game was already over, and Manali continued her flawless streak by securing point after point with her terrifying serves and consistent returns. It was not until the fourth game that KE finally managed to get a point, but no momentum was lost from Manali as she continually served her opponent in oblivion. When it wasn’t her turn to serve, she made quick work of her opponent by volleying balls to irretrievable positions, or by returning the ball with such sheer force that KE just could not handle. With the incredible number of service aces from Manali, it was no surprise that the match was quickly over, and after 9 straight games, Manali’s opponent had only managed to score a total of 5 points, making the 9-0 scoreline even more impressive than it already was.
First singles: Manali 9-0 (W)
ezgame for our freshie superstar? of course!
The first doubles pair were freshies Min and Vivien, who got off to a strong 5-0 start with their teamwork and chemistry. Despite feeling nervous after realising the camera was on her, Vivien continued to nail her services, and Min finished with strong overhead smashes that KE could not find a solution to. Some slight mistakes resulted in KE taking their first game at 5-1, but with Min and Vivien covering each other on the court, they denied KE from making any form of comeback and continued to volley KE whenever the opportunity arose. It was 8-1 when the duo hit a snag as Vivien made several service faults in a row to give KE the advantage in the game, but just one serve in was all it took for them to get their footing back and tie up the game. Facing sudden death, Min felt no pressure at all as she pulled off two great volleys to close the set out at 9-1. Another comfortable win for Eusoff, and Min clearly was not tired out by the match as she proceeded to help Anna warm up for her third singles game later.
First doubles: Vivien and Min 9-1 (W)
Inspired by Manali’s performance, captain Erica vowed to do her one better and concede less than 5 points to her opponent, but her hopes were quickly dashed as her opponent proved to be more formidable than expected. Erica went even with her opponent for the first few games, reaching a game score of 2-2 after both sides won the games where they served. Perhaps she was just warming up as after that, Erica minimised her mistakes and started to string a few points together by getting her returns right and prevailing in long rallies. She gained some momentum by getting service ace after service ace, which helped her continue her streak. Erica, who by now was firing on all cylinders, refused to drop any more games to her opponent as she consistently nailed her serves, and it was just a matter of time before the game score was 8-2. Despite being down in the last game, Erica clawed her way back into it with a decisive volley and a fantastic return to the front court which sent her opponent scrambling to reach it. Clutching it out during sudden death, Erica claimed her set 9-2.
Second singles: Erica 9-2 (W)
The second doubles featured seasoned veteran Faith as well as Ash, who was playing her first match this IHG. With service aces from Faith and Ash at the net always ready to volley, they were off to a good start. Their chemistry really shined as Ash, when unable to receive a ball, would never fail to call out Faith’s name, and Faith would come through with the reliable cover that they needed. The duo made their way through the games with little resistance as KE was simply unable to deal with the strong forehand returns from Faith and the immediate volleys and overhead smashes from Ash. With just a few minor faults here and there which were quickly remedied with encouragement and advice from Faith, the pair reached match point by repeatedly bamboozling their opponents with balls that went all the way to the back of the court but still made it in. One final great serve from Faith was all it took as KE hit the ball out on the receive, and the fourth match went 9-1 in Eusoff’s favour.
Second doubles: Faith and Ash 9-1 (W)
teamwork really does make the dream work, as Ash and Fefpar covered each other well!
Anna, a small girl with a huge appetite, was looking to close out the third singles match quickly so she could go back and eat, and her opening was indicative of that as she took the first three games in a row. At this point, the second doubles game concluded, so all eyes were on Anna, but that only meant more photos for her (thanks EW). Anna started to feel a bit of the pressure as she made a few mistakes in a row and conceded a game to KE, but she quickly regained her composure and took two more straight games. Despite choking slightly at points throughout the rest of the set, Anna still managed to find service aces, edge out long rallies, and survive some sudden deaths. With the whole team cheering her on, Anna found the strength to execute more spectacular plays that lead her to an 8-4 scoreline. A good slice and a deep backhand return put her in the lead for the final game, and Anna wasted no more time in finishing the match 9-4.
Third singles: Anna 9-4 (W)
annaappleong may be small BUT SHES STRONG.
It was another clean 5-0 sweep for Eusoff after a masterclass of tennis displayed by the girls, and the team will now prepare for their upcoming semis match next week. Let’s hope that the girls can maintain their form and keep up their flawless streak. All the best to them, and be sure to show them your support!
Comments