squash [M]: KE vs EH, won 3-2

Reported by Zachary Low

Edited by Celine Yeap

Squash – a game in which speedy and power must be balanced with great precision in order to achieve success. Never having held a squash racquet in my own hands before, I made my way to the SRC squash courts with no idea what to expect. This budding writer is glad to report that the KE7 men’s squash team, featuring Akhilesh, Weng Shian (our very own hall master’s son), Jianan, Joan, Feng Fei, and Bryan (captain), has won their first match of IHG and are through to the semi-finals!

Our victorious males squash team: (from left to right) Akhilesh, Bryan, Joan, Weng Shian, Feng Fei, and Jianan

Akhilesh opened the evening’s games against Eusoff Hall’s IVP player, Daryl Kam. Despite his energetic play, playing against an IVP player took its toll against Akhilesh, as he dropped the first game 3-11, 2-11. Yet the squash’s team fighting spirit was never better demonstrated as the team rallied together before the second game.

Before the second game, I asked Weng Shian how he felt about playing against someone who was at least four years older and as such would have a marked advantage physically. Our intrepid young player (who hasn’t even reached the legal drinking age yet) gamely replied that he was ‘just going to try his best’. This resulted in a scintillating display that concluded in a victory over Eusoff’s Jian Liang, with both sets ending with a scoreline of 11-6. Weng Shian’s moxie, despite his young age, and ferocious backhand returns clearly unnerved his opponent, enabling him to hold on to clinch a win in the face of a desperate defensive rally by his opponent.

Weng Shiang, Hall Master's son, being congratulated for his win!

With the score tied at 1-1, Jianan stepped onto the court. In his own words, it was his ‘first time playing a competitive game’. As the match went on, Eusoff’s Stanley Tan’s composure began to tell as Jianan dropped his match 1-11, 3-11. Nevertheless, this experience will definitely forge his resolve into something greater in preparation for more games in the future.

Joan Martos Gracia was up next against Eusoff’s Tan Ching Ping. Before the game, Joan had already broken the strings on his racquet – this writer bears visual witness to this fact. Yet my neighbour’s Spanish mojo was fully demonstrated as he raced all over the court, returning shots that weren’t meant to be returned, in a manner similar to his countryman, Rafael Nadal (different sport, same concept). Staying in full control of each set, Joan proceeded to win the match 11-6, 11-4.

Joan, the Spanish Sensation getting ready for his match!

As we went into the final match for the day, the pressure was on Eusoff as their captain, Malcolm Tan, stepped onto the court with KE7’s Feng Fei. The tension in the air, to use an old primary-school-composition-cliché, was so thick you could almost cut it with a knife. As Feng Fei won his first set 11-7, the KE7 supporters began to see the makings of an upset. Despite the enormous pressure, Feng Fei overcame the physical fatigue and the jitters to hang on to win the second set 11-10. As the final match point was awarded to Feng Fei, everyone clad in red erupted in celebration. Hurrah for our first win of the IHG season!

Excitement on the faces of our KE supporters!

The KE7 men’s squash team is scheduled to play one more game against Sheares Hall before advancing to the semi-finals. Our hopes and well-wishes go with them.

Quotable quotes:

Our captain, Bryan, on winning this game against Eusoff: “It was a perfect victory. Our lineup was correct, we fought hard, and we deserved the win.”

Joan Martos Gracia, when asked for his post-match comments: “I was distracted by the very pretty referee.”