Written By: Leung Lok Heng Edited By: Valerie Chua & Jolene Wong Photographs By: EusoffWorks
Continuing where their female counterparts left off yesterday, it was the Tennis guys’ turn to start their IHG season. Coincidentally enough, their first match was also against Sheares Hall (SH). As usual, crowds of loyal supporters started filling the court as the guys warmed up under the hot sun. Clad in yellow and black, the guys were fired up to start their season on a high note and not long after, the match was soon underway.
Kicking things off for Eusoff for the first singles match was Wilbert, the captain of the team. Right from the very start, Wilbert asserted his authority over the opponent and sent punishing shot after shot across the net. A fast hit down the right side-line gave him the first game and he never looked back thereafter. His combination of finesse and strength was on a different level and allowed him to earn points with relative ease as he won game after game, widening his lead over the opponent. Without even seemingly breaking a sweat, Wilbert cruised to a 9-0 victory and gave Eusoff their first win of the day. Indeed smooth-sailing!
EH 1:0 SH
Next up was perhaps the most exciting match of the day with sophomore Chee Wang stepping onto the court as the second singles player. The match started off a little shaky for Chee Wang as some unusual mistakes cost him precious points, allowing his opponent to jump to a quick 3-0 lead. However, he got back his composure in no time. Both players were playing at an extremely high level and traded points back and forth, so much so that they had to play a sudden death point for each of the next few games to determine the winner. With his patience and resolute defence, Chee Wang managed to roar back to win the next 5 games to bring the score to 5-3!
But things were not over yet. His opponent came back even harder to tie the match at 5-5 and things started heating up on the court! However, neither player was able to establish a safe lead in the match and the match scores were constantly tied from 6-6 to 7-7. An unfortunate series of mistakes cost Chee Wang the next game and he was down 7-8. One more game loss and he would lose the match. With tensions running high and the ever-increasing support from the audience, he managed to display his prowess and hit winners after winners to his opponent, tying up the match at 8-8.
Now, it was on to the final tiebreaker game. All eyes were on this battle and to no surprise, the players traded points tit for tat throughout the final game. The pressure was on Chee Wang to not make any mistakes and the supporters were cheering louder with every point. Chee Wang maintained his composure and extended the long rallies by returning his opponent’s hits with well-placed shots of his own and eventually clawed his way to match point. Finally, after about an hour of play, with his entire body drenched in sweat, Chee Wang smashed the final ball down for a point and the match ended 9-8 to Eusoff!!! BAM, the crowd went wild and the supporters were so ecstatic for his win that even their team manager got so emotional she started tearing. It was truly a fantastic moment to witness and Chee Wang’s hard work extended Eusoff’s lead in the match.
EH 2:0 SH
Building on the momentum from the second singles Bobby and Le Yuan, Eusoff’s first doubles pair. The duo started off strong with Bobby sending two aces hurling their opponent’s way for a quick lead. Le Yuan also displayed tremendous defensive moves as he chased down balls with lightning speed, allowing the duo to win rallies and jump to a 2-0 lead. A small comeback from their opponents tied 2-2 but it was not to last. The pair’s immaculate communication allowed them to handle whatever shots were sent their way and the duo shifted swiftly into another gear. Powerful shots and tough serves allowed to win game after game mercilessly. Some tricky net play from Le Yuan and a final smash by Bobby gave the duo the match with a score of 9-3 and secured Eusoff’s victory over SH. Pretty sick duo I would say!
EH 3:0 SH
Yew Hoe and Neville were the next doubles pair to take on their opponents from SH. Clever shots from Yew Hoe at the beginning of the match clinched them the first game. The pair continued their excellent gameplay and Neville sent over some sneaky shots to extreme ends of the court to which their opponents could only watch helplessly. However, both teams were equally matched and the scores were always extremely close. Eventually, the duo were down 7-8 and needed to win the next game to bring the match to a tiebreaker. The crowd was excited to see another close showdown in the deciding set but alas, despite tremendous hustle and heart from the duo, they dropped the final game and match 7-9 to their opponents. Nonetheless, good game boys!
EH 3:1 SH
The final battle between the halls was for the third singles match, which was represented by Zhen Nan. From the get-go, Zhen Nan’s left-handed serves proved to be a major asset as his opponent struggled to return each booming serve from the baseline. With his opponent scrambling everywhere, Zhen Nan was able to control the flow of the game with well-placed shots that were unable to be returned. He quickly jumped to a 4-1 lead and continued to pile on the pressure, extending his lead to 8-4. Some errors allowed his opponent to stage a comeback and bring the score to 8-7, but ultimately, the sheer power in Zhen Nan’s swings was too much to handle. He made quick work of the final game and a strong shot to the baseline sealed the match for him 9-7!
Final score – EH 4:1 SH
This was a hard-earned victory for the Tennis guys and it was not without hard work and drive that they managed to start their IHG season on a high note. Do continue to support the team for their subsequent matches as they continue on the path to success. Let’s go, Eusoff!
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