Tennis (F)
KE vs EH - 1 : 4

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The 2nd preliminary girls’ tennis match against EH was played on home ground, in the KE tennis courts itself. Sheryl, the tennis captain, had previously emphasized to the team that this was the match we were hoping to do better in. (”We’ll just practice [for EH] against TH!”, she had told us with a characteristically sunny smile.)

Our previous match against TH had been handicapped by a suboptimal line-up and we reshuffled the line up significantly against EH.

1st Singles
Wei-Tse is the most experienced player in our team, and we were banking on her to get one of our points. The burden of expectations appeared to rattle her, and she made many unforced errors. The match was long, drawn out affair that saw both players struggled with nerves, but unfortunately her opponent managed to stay more consistent. Despite some brilliant strokes, and a lot of spirited effort, she eventually lost 2-9.

2nd Singles
Jene’s match was against an IVP player, and she could do little against her opponent’s aces and blistering shots. Nonetheless, she tried her best and managed some good returns against her serves.

1st Doubles
Rasminder and Li Feng were also slated to play against very strong players. They were also handicapped by their inexperience, having only played together a few times before this match. Nonetheless, they did their best and tried hard for each point, but eventually lost 0-9.

2nd Doubles
Our power packed 2nd doubles stepped onto the court to a chorus of cheers. They started off with a bang, securing a good 4-1 lead, playing well with smart lobs and finely-placed shots. Wen Yan’s serves, in particular, packed a punch that belied her diminutive size. Hoey Lit and Wen Yan paired up well, and were very comfortable as doubles partners.

Their EH doubles pair then started catching up, and as their confidence increased, our pair also stumbled a little, and made more errors. However, they hung on to increase their lead to a nice 8-6.

We only needed one more point to win, and anticipation hung heavy in the court. The EH pair had become visibly discouraged and the win was within grasp. Alas, they then managed to win a few good rallies, and Hoey Lit and Wen Yan then began to feel the pressure and in Hoey Lit’s words , “fumbled a little.” Each point was fought out closely, until the score was at 8-8. The tiebreaker was heartbreakingly close, and the girls even changed sides (as you do, after 6 points), but the EH doubles prevailed at the end of this long, tense match.

3rd Singles
As all the drama was going on during Hoey Lit and Wen Yan’s doubles game, there were few supporters to cheer on Sheryl as she played the 3rd singles match. Sheryl’s greatest strength is her consistency, as she is able to keep up with long rallies, with no discernible flagging in either mental or physical stamina. Thus she slowly wore down her opponent, a competent player who became frustrated; and won most of her points through unforced errors.

Sheryl also picked up a comfortable lead in the beginning, and started to worry only when her opponent began to catch up, until the score was 8-6. But her consistency and calmness stood her well, and she finished the game at the very next point at 9-6.
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Good fight, girls!
Our final score against EH was 1-4, but it was not an easy win by any means. The 2nd doubles that Hoey Lit and Wen Yan played was literally touch-and-go towards the end, and Wei-Tse’s match was also a tough one.

This year’s girls’ tennis team has been a close-knit one, thanks to the efforts of our very responsible and enthusiatic captain and vice-captain (Sheryl and Wei-Tse), and our close call this time has inspired us to try harder and do better for next year!

- Lydia