Written by: David Arthur Powell
Edited by: Angelina Grace Pandiman
Photos by: Eusoff Works
After unfortunate weather conditions postponed the original tennis match against KR on the 4th of January, the Eusoff male tennis team came to the courts today for their first official match. Their opponent was no pushover, but our tennis team was determined to kickstart their IHG journey on the right foot. With 3 games being played concurrently, the night was packed with spectacular plays.
First singles: Timothy 9-7 (W)
Starting off the first singles match was Timothy, the captain for Eusoff. This match meant a lot to him, as he had lost the previous game for this same matchup against Jack, KR’s star player. The match started with a series of impressive rallies between the two players before Jack finally put the ball into the net, and Tim managed to take the first set after 6 consecutive service faults by his opponent. They then went back and forth in games, with both players doing shuttle runs to receive the ball, but Tim managed to pull away with a 2 game advantage after several terrific service aces. However, several missed opportunities from Tim allowed KR to catch up, giving them a fighting chance as the game score was tied at 3-3. The two players were evenly matched as they brought the game to 6-6, but Tim took the lead after some decisive volleys and overhead smashes. From there, Tim was in control, and it wasn’t long before he managed to reach match point with a 3 point lead. Jack put up an impressive showing but Tim closed out the match 9-7, preventing KR from making any form of comeback. A truly emotional victory for Tim indeed, as he edged out his rival after many hard-fought games.
an overjoyed Tim collapses to the floor as he finally beats his long time friend and ihg rival :")
truly an amazing win!
First doubles: Bobby and Shaoxuan 9-7 (W)
Over at the first doubles match, Bobby and Shaoxuan opened with a dominating performance, bringing the game score to 3-0 with no reply from KR. However, they seemed to choke slightly as KR managed to catch up and even the game score at 4-4. A series of service faults from KR gave Bobby and Shaoxuan not only the game advantage, but perhaps more confidence, and they continued to display their team chemistry, with Bobby going for volleys at the front and Shaoxuan covering the rest of the balls at the back. KR put up a good fight and tried to bring the game back, but it was to no avail, and our first doubles pair claimed a 9-7 victory.
Second singles: Divakar 9-5 (W)
The second singles match was played by Divakar, who traded games with his opponent until they were even at 4-4. With Eusoff’s star player Han giving advice and encouragement from the sidelines, Div managed to survive a series of rallies, putting him in the lead after outplaying his opponent and taking a commanding game. Han’s words seemed to work wonders, and Div remained calm and composed for the rest of the match as he completed the set with minimal opposition, closing it out at 9-5.
Second doubles: Siheng and Yewkit 9-2 (W)
Siheng and Yewkit opened the second doubles match with a commanding 3-0 game lead. The duo showcased their teamwork throughout the set and even took some flawless games, and they quickly reached 8-1 without much answer from KR. A missed volley by Yewkit gave KR an opportunity to get back into the game, but he quickly redeemed himself to put Eusoff on match point. KR managed to prevent Siheng and Yewkit from closing out the match there and then by forcing another game, but Siheng’s overhead smash and volley as well as KR’s double fault resulted in a 9-2 set.
Third singles: Han 9-1 (W)
The last singles match featured Han, and Yichen claimed that there would be nothing to watch. Han had a bit of a shaky start, but quickly turned the game in his favor after conceding a game to KR. From there, Han seemed to be toying with KR, hitting the ball to alternating sides of the court just to tire his opponent out. Despite hardly running at all, Han ran away with the rest of the match, and he made it look effortless when he quickly brought the game score to 8-1. Three thunderous service aces in a row put Han on match point, and he served the last ball with so much strength that I could barely see it fly past. An impressive 9-1 victory for Han.
There were cheers all around as Eusoff completed the clean 5-0 sweep against KR, and they now have 1.5 weeks of well-deserved rest before their next game. Truly a great start to the male tennis team’s IHG journey. Let us wish them all the best and hope that they continue today’s excellent showing throughout IHG.
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