IHG 2011 TENNIS (F) Semi Finals – KE vs RH

Written by: Zhao Peng
Edited by: Adriel Leong
Photos by: Zhao Peng

This is the second time that I am covering a tennis game. As my knowledge in the field starts to grow, so does my passion for the game I must say. Watching a tennis game is most exciting when you are live at the arena, rather than those French Open matches on cable TV, supporting your very own friends – people whom you live, eat and share the toilet with everyday.

The games played on the 7^th of January 2011 were most certainly tough but compelling, as our team had to preserve through numerous difficulties and obstacles on the way to get through the end of the match. From an honest view point, both the teams today (yes our opponents RH) were extremely good, making this fixture a prospective nail biting finish down to the wire.

Our female captain, spectacular Shereen, certainly made an intoxicating start to the match, blitzing through her opponent by two consecutive wins. Her trademark strong and fear-inducing serve certainly played a part in her game; making the opponent scurry and struggle to return the ball.

Spectacular Shereen

Jennyline Fan certainly made her mark on me during the match, earning her one more diehard fan. She definitely moved me with her calmness and perseverance throughout her game, whilst I had my nerves all highly strung eagerly anticipating each point that was being played out. The game finally concluded after 3 long hours (which seemed like eternity to me). Certainly even a male player wouldn’t be able to withstand that sort of nerves for such a long time in addition to the stamina, much less a female player. The character she showed on the tennis court that day is definitely one that should be emulated by all KE sportsmen. In my heart she is certainly a winner!

Jeana on the move

In the ensuing two doubles games and the last single game, our players certainly showed a tremendous amount of cooperativeness and chemistry (particularly for the doubles teams) with each of them displaying high levels of skill that certainly made all who were there proud. Of particular note should be Patricia Tay, a year 2 medical student who recently moved into hall, who despite her freshness of moving into hall and her novice status in the IHG circuit certainly did not disappoint and played to the best of her ability.

Fang Chee & Patricia

Xixi & Mae Yue

Lastly, what should be mentioned must be our supporters who were present to cheer on the girls each and every step of the way of their Tennis IHG journey. It was certainly heartening to see friends setting aside valuable time to come and cheer their hearts out for our girls. Although we were disappointed to bow out of the semi finals with a score of 2 – 3, we were certainly proud of the spirit and camaraderie that we all showed – it’s no wonder that KE residents are such a close knit community – a modern day kampong to say the least!

At the end of the day, it's the friendships forged that matter the most...

Editor’s Note: KE Press apologizes for the delay in the publication of these articles. We are working hard to ensure this does not happen again!

IHG 2011 TENNIS (F) – KE vs TH

Written by: Wang Ce
Edited by: Adriel Leong
Photos by:  Wang Ce

The second challenge in our female tennis teams’ quest for IHG glory came today in the form of Temasek Hall (known as heavyweights on the sports circuit along with Eusoff hall). Naturally nerves ran high and there was certainly a lot of tension on the court, but nonetheless we won it convincingly by a margin of 4 – 1.

The game had initially been scheduled for yesterday (5^th Jan), however, rainy weather kept showdown from occurring, instead setting up a battle for supremacy on the 6^th instead. Nonetheless, the heavy downpour yesterday proved to be a welcome respite for the supporters, since it had proved today with extremely cool weather; when the game began at 7:30pm on SRC tennis courts 11 & 3.

The first match featured our resident F block Fantasia Jeanaline, who armed with 3 years of experience on the IHG circuit bulldozed her past her opponent; leaving her no room to negotiate and reply against her constant barrage of straight drives and volleys. 9:0 was the score line at the end of the match.

Our second match starred her twin Jennyline (collectively known as the Twin Tennis Terrors (TTT) of KE – the arrival of both of whom 3 years ago heralded the start of the KE Tennis revolution, upon which we have not looked back since) who did not give her competitor any chance, and naturally winning it without any surprise by a score of 9:2.

The third match was keenly contested by our Medicine Marvels Shereen Ng (Captain) and Tan Mae Yue (her Councilor – i.e. direct senior in medicine) who certainly lived up to their billing as Medicine Superstars. Already comparisons had been made between them since Shereen’s arrival in hall 1 year ago, with residents affectionately naming them the 2^nd pair of twins on the tennis team – in part due to their similarity in action and mannerisms. They coolly defeated their opponents with a score of 9:5.

‘Come on’,’that’s it’, ‘that’s the way it is’, ‘come on xixi, you can do it.’ The word of support made us felt warm. The result

The fourth match was the one that made everyone hold their breath in anticipation and tension numerous times that night; with the leads being exchanged from time to time. Veteran Fang Chee and newcomer Patricia Tay combined together to form an amazing partnership; playing tantalizing tennis along the way. Initially KE was in the lead with 7:4, but a resurgence in the opponents form allowed them to catch up and made it 8:7, then 8:8 and finally they had won 9:8. Nonetheless it was a certainly job well down by Fang Chee and Pat who certainly won the hearts of many fans that night. Kudos to them on their indomitable fighting spirit!

The final match featured freshmen Lei Xixi, who had been constantly greeted with cheers of ‘Come on’, ‘That’s it’ and ‘you can do it’. Certainly the chorus of support throughout left its mark on Xixi, allowing her to defeat her opponent with a convincing score line of 9:1.

And hence our female tennis teams’ quest for IHG glory was on track; with their 4-1 victory of TH another feather in the cap of their success. Semi finals await, and we can be sure that our girls will be able to rise to the challenge!

How Now Brown Cow?

Guess Who?

All Smiles

Editor’s Note: KE Press apologizes for the delay in the publication of these articles. We are working hard to ensure this does not happen again!

Day 2 of IHG: Tennis (Males)

Written by: Zhao Peng
Edited by: Collin Ho, Deborah Khoo, Adriel Leong
Pictures by: Zhao Peng

On the 4^th of January, the boys from KE7 came down for their tennis match against Sheares Hall. This was going to be a tough fight right from the start, as the Sheares team had traditionally produced some very strong tennis players, and this year was no exception.

The first singles player was Wang Jing, who is also captain of our male tennis team. He proved why he had earned this title, as he beat his opponent from Shears Hall easily, with an amazing score of 9 to 2. He was obviously an experienced tennis player, and deomnstrated right from the start of every point. His powerful serves did not allow the opponent much room for error, and the latter was very often unable to get the ball back. The match thus very quickly fell to KE7′s favour.

The captain is the symbol of team spirit of a team; his winning was certainly a great encouragement to other players, and helped lift their game and spirits, and surely proved a great motivator for the rest of the match.

The second game was not as easy as the first team as the opponent was also a very good player. Our player, Ashish, seemed to be a little nervous and impetuous at the beginning, but managed to show his usual skill at later rounds. Both of the two players played very well, and it was really not easy to say who is better. The result was a little pity—we lost by 5 to 9.

However there were many good shots done by Ashish, and the match really could have gone the other way on another day. Very well done, Ashish!

The subsequent matches were played by relatively newer players, Yunhan, Guangrong, and Yinghan. As new players to the game, they have not received as much training as their seniors, and this was evident when compared to the other games played earlier  on. However, they spared no effort playing the game and kept on persevering until the very last point, and this was very obvious to all who were watching the matches. Ultimately, all three conceded to their opponents from Sheares who were obviously more experienced, but we are sure that with time, training and effort, they will truly be valuable players to KE7 hall in years to come.

Although we lost the game of 4^th January, we made it very clear to everyone watching the match not to underestimate the spirit of KE7, and that our teams are not afraid to go down battling until the very end! Each of the players in the team demonstrated a huge amount of courage, cooperation and perseverance that truly demonstrated the KE7 spirit, and is something that they can all be very proud of!

Good luck to KE7 and all the players in all the remaining matches!

Our Men’s Team!

Our Captain Standing Tall!

All Ready to Serve!

Day 1 of IHG: Tennis (Female)

Written by: Wang Ce
Edited by: Collin Ho, Deborah Khoo, Adriel Leong
Photos by: Wang Ce

After many months of rigorous training, hard work and perseverance , the 2011 Inter Hall Games has finally begun! To kick off this year’s round of competition, the tennis girls of KE7 Hall were pitted against  Eusoff team in a nail-biting match that remained exhilarating right to the last ball, and proved an extremely exciting start to the IHG season!!!

First, a quick introduction to the game as well as the IHG rules, for those who may not be as clear about them.

There are five matches per gender, and to win a match, a player needs to win 9 games.There are a total of 3 singles, and 2 doubles matches. The team which wins at least three matches garners 2 points for its hall; the team which loses but plays all five matches gets 1 point; and the team which forfeits the matches does not get any points.

The weather for the match proved to be rather dampening, as it had been raining the whole day, and had only just cleared up before the match. The courts were thus wet, and were just being dried as the KE7 players arrived for the match. However, the players seemed undeterred, and started to warm up in preparation for the first IHG match of the year.

Before long, the match was under way, with KE7′s Jennyline taking the first bat against Eusoff. However, her opponent proved no match for Jenny, an extremely experienced and decorated Tennis player. The Sheares player quickly succumbed to Jenny’s powerful serves, and on the occasion that she could return a point, Jenny deftly swooped in for the kill, and with the huge armoury of strokes, gained from many years of training, at her disposal, and she also very quickly disposed of her opponent. The match was thus very swiftly decided, with Jenny winning convincingly with a score of 9:0.

It was then Lei Xixi‘s turn to strut her stuff for KE7 Hall. However, there were a few things against her favour, as it was at this point that rain started getting heavier and the conditions proved rather unfavourable. Despite putting up a very good and determined fight, Xixi lost the match 3:9 to her opponent from Eusoff hall.

The third game of the match proved to be arguably the most exciting one. With the score tied 1:1,  this was seen by some from KE7 as the decider match for the game, as many had predicted that KE7 would win the last match with ease. True enough, this was an extremely hard-fought game, as Fang Chee and Patricia Tay battled on the court obviously wanting to win the match very badly. However, their opponents also proved to be tough competition, and every time one team scored, the other would very quickly catch up and even the score. As each point was being played, the tension on the court was palpable as their was no clear side emerging unlike that for the first 2 games of the day. Eventually, the score rose to 8:8, and the game had thus come to sudden death. However, undeterred and not shaken, the pair from KE7 Hall gave their all, and eventually won a very hard-fought point to bring victory for this game as well, to a score of 9:8.

The fourth match of the day was played by the doubles tennis pair Mae Yue and Shereen. Both were very experienced seniors in hall who had been playing tennis for many years, and also very good friends who are often seen hitting the balls in the evenings at the KE7 tennis courts – obviously practicing very hard for these IHG matches! However, their opponents in Eusoff had also been known to be one of the strongest tennis players on the team, and it was thus going to be a very unpredictable match. Mae Yue and Shereen both fought extremely hard, and they both hit the balls with great skill and coordination, obviously a result of the many hours of practice with each other. However, their opponents simply proved too strong for the duo, and they also conceded the match to a score of 3:9.

With the score tied at 2:2 going into the final game, this was going to prove to be a nail-biting finale whatever the outcome. Although, as stated earlier, this match was expected to be clinched by KE7 due to the other Fan sister, Jeanaline, playing, we knew better than to count our proverbial eggs before they hatched. The prophecies did however turn true, and with much skill (and little difficultly), Jeana won the last game for KE7 hall with a score of 9:0, winning every point and totally defeating her hapless opponent, winning the entire tennis match for KE7 Hall in the process with an overall score of 3:2.

A huge congratulations to our girls’ tennis team, and here’s wishing you all the best for the matches ahead!!!

Our Victorious Girl's Team!

Standing Tall!

jan 13th Tennis (F) Finals

Tennis (F) Finals: KE vs KR, 2-3

Writer: Ashish Rudola
Editor: Janice Fan

The tennis female finals of the Inter Hall Games 09/10 started around 7.30pm on the night of 13^th January, 2010. Our girls faced off against Kent Ridge Hall, whose guys’ team also advanced to the final. The initial atmosphere of the team was quite relaxed and upbeat. Shereen and Jene could be heard singing the Black Eyed Peas song “Tonight is gonna be a good night…!”  Little did they know that not only was the night good in every tennis fan’s eye, it was also long. So long that ‘tonight’ became tomorrow morning, but more on that later.

A change of strategy from the semi-final game saw Jenny, the team captain, play the first singles and Jeana, the vice, play the second singles. It was clear that they completely outclassed their opponents. It was a just a matter of seeing if both Jenny and Jeana could win their matches without dropping a game. They did just that, literally walking to a two set to love victory, while their opponents were sent scampering to all corners of the court to retrieve their winners. The two games were not just about fast, flat and accurate forehands; there were nice drop shots to be seen and also many aces. In particular, Jenny’s love service game midway through the second set just enabled her to quickly finish off the second set. And Jeana’s crucial drop shot at a score of 40-40 in the 2^nd game of the 1^st set completely demoralized her opponent. Her opponent just started folding thereafter and did not show the resilience that was seen in the 1^st 2 games of the match.

jenny and her powerful shot

Jeana going for the ball

After the first singles, Mae Yue and Jene played the 1^st doubles for us. The captain of KR’s team played in this match, and you could tell that she was directing the play. Our girls fought hard in the 1^st set, but the KR girls were just too strong for them. They dropped the set  6-0. By the second set, it appeared that the KE girls had gotten a hang of how to play their opponent. This set consisted of super long rallies, punctuated by many calls of “Yours!” which was directed at the calling person’s team mate to take the shot. At 3-2 in KR’s favour, the momentum was on KE’s side as they had just won the last game. The next game was particularly long since it had some of the longest rallies I have ever seen. At 40-40, the game could have gone either way. But then another long rally took place and it was KR who held their nerve to take a commanding 4-2 lead in the second set. After that, they just built on their momentum and took the next 2 games by love to win the set 6-2, and the match, 2-0.

jene and mae yue fighting hard!

The second doubles match was played by Fang Chee and Fang Ming. This game was markedly different from the 1^st doubles match since there were no long rallies. Both Fang Chee and Fang Ming played a more attacking style of tennis, with a high-risk, high-reward payoff. The KR girls rushed to a 4-0 lead in the first set. Both the KR girls were good net players, and this helped them win a lot of points. However, KE fought back to take the next 2 games. KE and KR then traded one game each to make the score 5-3. At this crucial junction, a game won by KE would have really put the pressure on KR. With KR serving, the score reached 40-40, aided by a double fault. However, KR was able to squeeze that extra point to take the set 6-3. In the second set, KR once again rushed to a huge lead.  The matches were very close, and in all games, KE reached 30 or 40 points. It was just a matter of getting that extra point. At 5-0, the match seemed to be over. However, the next game was won comfortably by KE game-15. At 40-40 in the next game, a rally ensued. Finally, one of the KR players jumped up in the air and hit a Federerish backhand to win the crucial point. Nothing much the KE girls could have done about that. The next game KR took by game-15 to win the second set 6-2 and the match 2-0.

With the score tied 2-2, it all rested on Shereen’s shoulders to win the gold for us. This third singles match started around 10.15pm. Shereen’s opponent, Cherry, was clearly KR’s best singles player. While the players were stroking, one got the feeling that they both played at a high and similar level and that this match could be very tight. Shereen served first and won the first two games. They then traded a couple of games after which, KR won the next two games to make the score 3-3. This game, like the first doubles match, had many long rallies. Shereen preferred to use a defensive strategy and hence, would lob most shots. Her opponent, on the other hand, preferred to hit flat shots. With the end result being a test of whether Cherry, who had a higher probability of making errors because of her more aggressive style, would falter or not. Over the rallies of the next two games, Cherry did falter, with Shereen taking a commanding 5-3 lead. However, the next two games KR took, although they were very, very close and could have very easily gone KE’s way. The supporters were loudly cheering each point by this time. Special credit must be given to Ming Zhou, who was waving the KE flag for close to an hour and a half, tirelessly urging Shereen on.  At 5-5, Shereen played a brilliant service game to take the game by love. The pressure, now on all Cherry, really upset her focus. She lost the game by love gain to put KE up by 1-0.

shereen, the heroine of the night

The second set saw a refocused Cherry playing and this resulted in long, long rallies. Every game was long. Every point was fought hard, often with such long rallies that you had to marvel at how fit both players were. At 2-2, the set was just warming up. The next two games saw Shereen make a few mistakes. However, in the next two games, Shereen regained her touch and played commandingly to induce errors from Cherry. At 4-4, everyone was tense. The match had already gone on for really long, with the clock pushing close to 12.30am. Cherry served next, and played a good service game to win game-15. The next game was probably the longest game in the Inter Hall Games history. At each point, there ensued a legendary, nail- biting rally. Shereen win one point, but Cherry would strike back. This happened till 40-40, which meant Cherry had a set point. Now ensued probably the longest rally anyone has ever seen!! I lost count after 40 shots. Both players hit some nice shots, ran a lot to recover balls and played patiently. It was Shereen who did not succumb to pressure, taking the game and making the score 5-5. The two players once again traded games, to make the score 6-6 which meant that a tie-breaker ensued. However, this time, Shereen made a few uncharacteristic errors, and we later found out that it was because her legs were starting to cramp. As such, Shereen was unable to continue engaging in the long rallies, and Cherry ended up taking most of the points. Cherry ended up winning the tie break 7-1.

There was a lengthy pause after the second and third set. The SRC officials told the Convenors that the match was creating too much noise which was disturbing the residents of RVR. After a lengthy dialogue between the Convening Committee and the officials, the match resumed around 1am. However, by now, it was plain to see that Shereen’s leg cramps were really impeding her ability to play tennis. She abandoned her defensive approach to the game and started hitting powerful shots, aimed at winning the point with one shot. This did not go in her favour, since the KR girl was still playing quite consistently. Cherry took the first 4 games of the set. However, Shereen dug deep into her reserves, and played two fine games with plenty of winners. At 4-2 in KR’s favour, it appeared that Shereen’s cramp got the better of her. She had to withdraw from the match as she could hardly walk. This meant that KR had won the match, and were this year’s IHG champion.

Shereen’s heroics will not be forgotten in any time to come. If you were down there at the courts, you would have seen how hard Shereen fought, and how well she coped with the pressure. Indeed, the tension in the air was so palpable that one could cut through it with a knife! This match will henceforth be the benchmark to which all future games will be compared – such grit, fortitude and skill were displayed, and we are so very proud to have witnessed such a legendary match  

Personally, I would like to congratulate Shereen and the KE females’ tennis team to have made this tournament so exciting. Looking forward to see them again in action next year!

Our Tennis girls are Fighters!

Photos by: KE Vision

 

jan 8th tennis (f) semi-finals

Tennis (F) Semi-Finals: KE vs EH, 4-1

Our Tennis girls made it to the Finals!!!

Writer: Ashish Rudola
Editor: Janice Fan

Photos by Xiaoyao and Yunchao

After their gutsy and dominating performances in the group stages, the KE girls tennis team took on Eusoff Hall in the semi-finals of this year’s IHG. Eusoff, always a threat, seemed to have a few good players, judging by how they stroked during the warm ups to the game. However, when they faced the KE girls, they all but crumbled, resulting in a magnificient 4-1 victory for the KE girls in the semis  KE are now in the finals for the second year running!

The first singles started off with Jeana. The format of the semi finals and finals is different from that of the group stages; here, a best of 3 sets is played, with sudden death happening in case the score is tied at 40 all in a game. The group stages’ format however, was a race-to-9 games format. This basically meant that in this new format, skills were not everything; fitness and stamina were also extremely important! No worries though, Jeana seemed to have both in plenty. After having won the first game, she lost a very close second game by just a point. From then on however, it was a rampage. She took all of the subsequent games to win the match 6-1, 6-0 in a  manner that left the audience (and probably her opponent too!) thoroughly convinced of her expertise.

Shereen's sweet smile of victory

Meanwhile, the second singles took place on the adjacent court. This time, Shereen played the second singles for us. This match took a lot longer than Jeana’s match. In fact, the first set of this match lasted longer than the entire 2 sets of Jeana’s match. Still, do not let the time factor fool you. True, most games in this match were very close, usually going till 30-30 or 40-40, but our composed Shereen steadily won all the crucial points! She took the first set 6-2. After having lost the opening game of the second set, she stamped her authority on the game and won the next 6 games on the trot. She clinched the second set with a score of 6-1, and notable was a powerful forehand by Shereen that induced an error from her opponent - the EH player could not swing her racquet in time, and  the ball ended up hitting the net as a result. Bravo to Shereen!

Here's the display of commendable sportsmanship

Once Jeana’s match got over, the first doubles from each Hall started warming up. Fang Ming and Fang Chee represented our first doubles. This was a very tense contest; after  just a few minutes into the match, it became evident that both teams were evenly matched! Most games were very close, with very little to choose between the two sides.  In the first set, most games went to 40-40. Luck it seems, was not with us, and Eusoff clinched the set 6-1. The same story repeated itself in the second set. Although both Fang Ming and Fang Chee served well, it seemed that Lady Luck chose to smile upon EH, who had already lost the previous 2 matches. Eventually, the second set ended with 6-1 in favour of EH, who thus won their first match. Let it be said however, that we certainly gave a good fight. There is no doubt that that EH got a scare when they realized that KE had nothing but skilled players!

Meanwhile, the second doubles and the third singles took place simultaneously. The KE captain, Jennyline Fan, played the 3rd singles. Although her opponent was quite a good player, it was just her bad luck to face an in-form Jenny. With fast, accurate forehands and a deadly serve, Jenny took control of the match and won the first set 6-2. This set included a wonderful service game by Jenny which she won by love. The second set was more competitive. After taking a hard-fought 2-1 lead,  Jenny had to fend off the advances from the Eusoff player. They traded the next several games. At 3-3, the set could have gone either way. However, Jenny’s brilliant skills came to the fore, and saw her winning the crucial points to take the set 6-3, and with it, the match. Well done Jenny!

Our enthusiastic KE players, who played till the very last match!

Jene and Mae Yue played the second doubles, which was the final match of the day. Although KE had already won 3 of its 4 matches, which meant that we had already secured a place in the finals, the enthusiasm for this match never dropped. The match started with the server holding serve for 5 straight games. With KE winning 3-2, the elusive break of serve finally happened in favour of KE, and KE went up 4-2. After that, Jene held her serve and then the two broke Eusoff’s serve again to win the set 6-2! The second set demostrated the excellent spirit of our girls. Although the game started poorly and saw Eusoff winning 4-2, our determined and steady girls started taking control of the bounces, which therefore started going our way. Soon, Jene and Mae Yue were hitting accurate shots while the Eusoff girls seemed to be having difficulties dealing with their nerves. The score became 4-4. At 15-15 in the 9th game of the second set, Mae Yue fell down while hitting a shot. Her shot, still in play, was returned by Eusoff. Jene hit it back while Mae Yue recovered from the fall, and Mae Yue later returned the Eusoff return shot with a powerful forehand that Eusoff failed to hit!  There were loud cheers and huge applause for the superb partnership between the two, and for Mae Yue’s fierce fighting spirit.  Indeed, they made KE proud! Jene and Mae Yue proceeded to take the next game as well as the following one, to emerge as the victors with a score of 6-4

With this convincing 4-1 defeat of Eusoff, KE seems poised to defend its title as Female Tennis Champions!

The Finals will be held on the 13th of January at the Tennis Courts from 6pm to 9pm. Do come down and support our talented girls! If all goes well, you will end up witnessing KE’s first gold medal in this IHG season!  :D

 

 

jan 7th tennis (M)

Tennis (M) Second Preliminary Round: KE vs RH, 2-3

1^st singles: Wang Jing 9-0
2^nd singles: Zehao   3-9
1^st doubles: Daniel & Wei Qing  9-7
2^nd doubles: Peng Keong & Adriel 1-9
3^rd singles: Ashish 6-9

Writer: Garrick Liw
Editor: Janice Fan

Photos by Simin and Wang He

One of the more interesting matches of tonight was the battle between the Male Tennis team of KE and RH.

Presenting to you KEVII's male tennis team

The first 4 games had KE and RH each winning 2 games. It all boiled down to the third singles played by Ashish, who very unfortunately, wasn’t feeling well tonight. After a fierce and intense fight, Ashish wasn’t able to beat his opponent, sealing the fate of KE entering the semi-finals.

Power shot from Wang Jing

The first singles was played by Wang Jing. His serves were forceful and his opponent was of no match. It was clear who the better player was. The player sent by RH was literally slaughtered by Wang Jing’s shots. Moreover, Wang Jing’s opponent was not a good server as most of his serves did not go over the net. Within 25 minutes, the humiliation of RH’s player ended with Wang Jing winning the game with a score 9-0.

Next up was Zehao who played the second singles against RH. Both players were of similar standards. However, Zehao’s opponent was able to deliver more trick shots than him, sending Zehao running around the court to save the ball. Zehao eventually lost to RH as he committed more mistakes than his opponent despite a valiant attempt to win the match for KE.  The score was 3-9.

By now, a group of supporters had gathered at Courts 4 & 5 to cheer on the Male Tennis team. Most remarkably, Yuwei limped all the way from KE to the tennis court, and became one of the loudest ’cheerleader’.  Every few moments you will hear her shouting “GO KE!!” Should there be a Best Supporter Award, there is no doubt that she will be the recipient of it. :p Just then, there was a bad news. Ashish was not feeling well, which was also the reason why he was switched to play the third singles. The kindhearted Laura even walked to Cheers to buy him a can of Redbull as a form of support!

Good job guys!

The doubles followed next. The first pair was Daniel and Wei Qing. The second pair featured Peng Keong and Adriel, who were playing together for their third time only. It was clear that RH came with a strategy. A player was always close to the net, ready to deliver fast smashes which would catch the KE players off guard.  

The players of the first double were not aggressive. Instead, they played with their brains, often tackling their opponent’s weak spots. Daniel managed to save some of the tricky shots sent by the Captain of RH Tennis team. Wei Qing however, played a safer game, delivering more long shots. KE took the lead at 5-2 after 20 minutes. However, RH managed to catch up to 5-4. After another 20 minutes of battle, the score was at 8-6.  By now, both supporters and players experienced adrenaline rush. Finally, KE won the game with a score of 9-7. Loud cheers could be heard from the supporters of KE who even brought down the KE flag! Morale was lifted and everyone was in high spirits.

In the other court, Peng Keong and Adriel faced 2 experienced players, who had no problems delivering surprise attacks and powerful serves. After losing 4 sets in a row, KE caught a break and won their first and only set of the game. Within the next 3 minutes, RH won another set. It was evident that both Peng Keong and Adriel were unable to handle the shots, although they certainly did try their best.  The game was over rather quickly, with a score of 9-1.

With KE losing 2 games, KE had to win the third singles in order to proceed to the semi-finals. The stress now built up on Ashish who played the third singles for KE. Initially, Ashish was hard on his opponent, Sham, and gave no chance to him. Ashish had an initial lead of 2-0, but it was soon caught up to 2-2. Everyone’s heart was pumping throughout the third singles as scores were continuously overtaken by each other. After Sham figured a strategy to pit against Ashish, he got his footing and scored several sets in a row. Ashish could only manage to tackle half of the powerful shots. Sham’s serves were one of the most powerful serves seen tonight, probably faster than that of Wang Jing or Ashish himself. With Ashish feeling unwell, along with a series of mistakes and missing some great scoring opportunities, the third singles ended with RH winning KE with a score of 9-6.

That's the spirit, GO KE!!

The cheers for the players of KE never stopped even after Ashish lost the game. Though KE is not fated to enter the semi-finals this year, they tried their best. It may not be the perfect result, but I am sure the players will be proud of themselves going through the IHG with KE behind them all the way!

jan 6th tennis (M)

Tennis (M) First Preliminary Round: KE vs KR, 1-4

	KE	KR	Score (KE-KR)
1st Singles	Ashish	Ian Lau	9-7
2nd Singles	Wang Jing (IVP)	Marc Lim (IVP)	3-9
3rd Singles	Zehao	John Woo (IVP)	3-9
1st Doubles	Wei Qing & Daniel	Bryan & Shu Hao	5-9
2nd Doubles	Adriel & Peng Keong	Calvin & Jiarong	1-9
		Overall:	1-4

Writer: Adrian Chia

Photos by Weisheng

The battleground

Our guys tennis players swung into action for their first IHG match on 6^th January. For the opening match, they were up against KR Hall. Despite putting up a brave fight, KE lost with an overall score of 1-4.

Here's Ashish with his serve

Ashish played the first singles match against KR’s Ian. While Ashish gained points through his more aggressive play and powerful forehand drives, his opponent was able to score with his lobs. As a result, the match frequently alternated between a fast or slow tempo, depending on who was in control of the rally. Their scores were very close throughout as both players battled for every point. After a 5-5 tie, Ashish was finally able to pull away, eventually winning with the final score of 9-7. It was certainly a hard-fought victory, and Ashish had only one word to describe his feeling after the match – “relieved”.

Wang Jing all cool and calm

The second singles match was no doubt a clash of the titans – two IVP players pitted against each other! Right from the moment of their warm-ups, we could tell the match would be a fiery and explosive affair. True enough, as the match got underway, the spectators were treated to a feast of powerful shots and exciting rallies, as both players fought for supremacy with a combination of skills, power and speed. Wang Jing, the ace in KE’s team, served with such ferocity that perhaps, only someone like his opponent would be able to return. Marc from KR, on the other hand, kept driving the ball whizzing back into his opponent’s court in all directions, only for Wang Jing to reply with equally forceful returns. Nonetheless, it was Wang Jing who committed more mistakes throughout the match, as Marc became more and more confident and aggressive. Marc was the winner with a score of 9-3.

Wei Qing and Daniel not giving up so easily

Next up was Wei Qing, the KE captain, and his partner, Daniel, for the first doubles match. The KR players, Bryan and Shu Hao, rushed into an early lead of 5-0 with a series of tricky shots and superior tactics. However, the KE pair was no simple pushover, as they gallantly clawed back 5 points before conceding victory with a final score of 5-9.

KEVII's pageants can play tennis too, we're so versatile

By then, the girls’ match had ended and the crowd of KE supporters turned their full attention to the guys’ match. For the second doubles, Adriel and Peng Keong played against KR’s Calvin and Jiarong. Despite all the cheer and encouragement from the supporters, the very good-looking KE pair failed to charm their opponents as they succumbed to a quick defeat with the score of 1-9. (Fun fact: Peng Keong was last year’s E block pageant, while Adriel is this year’s pageant for the same block =D)

Zehao aiming up HIGH!

The third singles was played between KE’s Zehao and KR’s John. Faced with an IVP opponent, Zehao put up a brave fight as he managed to steal several points from his opponent before losing the match 3-9. The KE supporters were also solidly behind him at all times as they erupted into loud cheers whenever he made good shots.

The final tally thus stood at 1-4 (KR won). All the best to the KE guys team as they play against RH for the second preliminary match!

 

jan 6th tennis (f)

 

Tennis (F) First Preliminary Round: KE vs RH, 5-0

 

1^st singles: Jeana 9-0
2^nd singles: Fang Chee   9-2
1^st doubles: Fang Min & Mae Yue 9-1
2^nd doubles: Deborah Wong & Shereen   9-1
3^rd singles: Jenny   9-0

Writer: Garrick Liw
Editor: Janice Fan

Photos by Simin & Weisheng

All smiles as they continue their battle into the semis

Hours before the game, loud thunder could be heard and there was a possibility that heavy rain might follow. Fortunately, the Heavens were kind, and there wasn’t a single drop of rain even as everyone gathered at the Tennis courts for the matches at 6 pm.

Steady, girls!

Food for fuel - Banana has lots of potassium! =P

After both teams had done their warm-ups, the first singles began with Jeana. The second singles was played by Fang Chee and both singles were played concurrently. In Court 6, Jeana gave no chance to her opponent at all. Her opponent could not return majority of her serves, and Jeana managed a few aces! The player sent by Raffles Hall had difficulty controlling almost every ball towards her and some of them even flew out of the fence! Despite that, she put up a good fight, eventually losing to Jeana with a score 9-0, in just 30 minutes. 

Over at Court 7, Fang Chee’s return shots were mostly high balls, giving the opponent opportunities to smack down hard towards her. In spite of that, Fang Chee managed to maintain a lead at 6-1 before the first time out. After the time-out, Fang Chee could be seen issuing soft returns to her opponent instead, and the game proceeded steadily. The moment the game ended, RH’s player could be seen running towards her team happily. For a moment, some of us thought that Fang Chee’s efforts had not been enough to save her. But in the end, Fang Chee managed to win the second singles with a score of 9-2. Good job to her! 

Way to go! *High five*

Next up was the first doubles, with Fang Ming and Mae Yue playing for KE. Their opponents from RH were only mediocre as they were not able to return a significant amount of serves. Sometimes, the opponents could not even hit the ball with their rackets. By this time, RH had lost 2 singles and supporters for RH began to gather around. Loud cheers could be heard occasionally. The name Carol was heard so many times throughout this game as she was one of the players against Fang Ming and Mae Yue. Unfortunately, both Carol and her partner could not edge out Fang Ming and Mae Yue and lost to KE with a score 9-1. Carol and her partner remained extremely cheerful after that, good display of sportsmanship I’d say! 

The freshmen pair (feat. Shereen & Deborah) and their skills

Before the first doubles ended, the second doubles took place at Court 7. The second doubles featured Shereen and Deborah Wong. Shereen’s serves were powerful and Deborah remained very alert, often saving some of the tricky returns from their opponent. As RH already knew that they have lost from the 3 previous games, it seemed that RH may not have put in their best effort; KE won with a score of 9-1.  Bravo to Shereen and Deborah!

With all hopes dashed, RH sent an amateur to play against KE’s very own Jenny. Even during the warm-up, Jenny did not concede any shots to her opponent, Si Hui. Although the warm-up made it evident that Si Hui was no match for Jenny, it did not stop Si Hui from playing the match with good spirit! She was often seen smiling even as she tried her best to pit against Jenny. As for Jenny, it would seem that she was giving rather powerful serves tonight! Her serves hit Fang Min twice – once on the ear, and a minute later, right smack on her head. And before the supporters managed to shift themselves into a safer position, another of Jenny’s serve hit Lionel right on his chest! It made us realize that the First Aid Box may come in handy for us audience too  Indeed, there was once that Si Hui dropped her racket upon impact with the ball from Jenny’s serve – yes, that was how powerful Jenny was tonight! :p Most of the supporters, now at the side of the courts, were henceforth busy trying to avoid the incoming balls from Jenny’s serves. Si Hui, however, managed to hit a majority of Jenny’s serves, although many of them went out of court or landed before the net. The game eventually ended with a score of 9-0, bringing a glorious victory to KE.

Our Tennis girls are into the Semis!

The morale of the Female Tennis team can be said to be high up and soaring into the sky!  

The Semi-Finals will take place at 08 Jan 2010, SRC Tennis courts. Details to be confirmed. 

KEVIIans, do go down to support them and be part of the crowd that will bring KE their first Gold Medal!

 

  

Steady, girls!

Jan 5th – tennis (f)

Tennis (F) First Preliminary Round:  KE vs TH, 3-2

Writer: Ashish Rudola
Editor: Janice Fan

Photos by Eddie Tan

The Inter-Hall Games 09/10 started on the 5^th of January, with tennis being the sport to kick- start the event. Only the girls played on this day, and it is my pleasure to inform all KEVIIans that that our female tennis team won its match against Temasek Hall! There were 3 singles matches played and 2 doubles matches. Each match was a race to nine games. The usual format of the deuce- advantage was replaced by a next-point-wins approach in case the score got tied 40-40. KE won 3-2, winning its entire singles!

Our tennis girls in red, all set for the challenge!

After a brief delay caused by registration and a few halls turning up late ( Sheares Hall walked in casually at 6pm, the time when the games were set to start), the first and second singles players from Temasek and KE started warming up in SRC courts 5 and 6 by 6.20pm.

Here comes the powerful serve, better be on the watch out

Keeping the game in control

Our first singles player was Jeana and our second singles player was her twin sister, and captain of the KE females’ tennis team, Jenny. Right from the warm ups, you could see a sense of amazement and respect towards the twins by their respective opponents. I distinctly heard Jeana’s opponent say “WAH!!” when Jeana’s practice serve whizzed by her for an ace, as the other Temasek girls tennis players looked dumbstruck. Both the first and second singles started by 6.35 and was over very, very soon!! Both Jeana and Jenny demolished their opponents 9-0, while their opponents could do nothing to stop the onslaught. With their fast and accurate shots, their opponents, who were just not anywhere near the level of the twins in terms of their tennis prowess, could at best, hit a feeble return, which the twins just buried onto the other side of the court for a winner. Indeed, it was such a steam roll that Jeana, who hit a wonderful crosscourt forehand to seal the match, walked away as if she had just finished her warm up!

After the quick end to the first and second singles, the doubles matches started simultaneously on each court. The first doubles pair of Mae Yue and Fang Ming played in court 5 and the second doubles pair of Fang Chee, last year’s captain, and Jene played on court 6.

Let's talk about strategies

Mae Yue and Fang Ming were on a rampage early on, rushing to a 7-0 lead. However, the Temasek girls started getting more consistent with their shots, which resulted in the Temasek girls taking the next 6 games. The score, now 7-6, made everyone watching extremely anxious. To add on this tense atmosphere, KE took the next game. The score, now 8-6, meant that KE was only one game away from victory! However, the Temasek girls responded strongly to take the next two games 60-30 and 60-15. The game, now tied at 8-8, meant that the match was headed to a tie break. By now, every KE and TH supporter was cheering at each and every point. Given such a situation, credit must be given to all players for keeping their nerves intact and striving to deliver their best J Indeed, KE rushed to a 4-2 lead in the tie break. Temasek, however, kept their cool, and aided by a shot that landed JUST on the line, made it 5-5. The next two points were each claimed by KE and TH respectively. The score, now 6-6, meant that the match would be played until there was a gap of two points between the team’s scores. The Temasek girls got the next two points, and hence won the match by the narrowest of margins.

Fang Chee and Jene showing great chemistry in the doubles match

Meanwhile, on court 6, the story was quite different: KE and TH went head to head! With game dynamics that resembled that of a see-saw, one Hall would take one game, but the other Hall would strike back and take the subsequent game. Fang Chee’s serves deserve special mention. She served particularly well, even getting a few aces! Jene’s lobs on the other hand, created a lot of difficulty for the Temasek girls, who could often not move back in time to hit the lob. KE, at one point, was leading 5-3. However, Temasek took the next 2 games. The see-saw game continued further till the score was, once again, 8-8. In the tie- break, KE took a 2-0 lead. However, the Temasek girls kept their cool and took the remaining points to win the tie break 7-3 and the match, 9-8.

After this valiant effort by the KE girls, it was all up to the third singles to decide who would walk away victorious, and who would walk away with slumped shoulders. It was all up to Shereen, sometimes referred to as Mae Yue Jr , to ensure that KE walked away with a Win. With such pressure on her, she had to remain focused. And she did just that! Anyone watching the game could have seen Shereen’s composed demeanour and determined stance. Her opponent, Marianne, whose name I was forced to memorize due to the incessant yelling by the Temasek supporters, seemed to lack this emotional control however: her anxiousness was evident. The game started, and Shereen’s focus led to many good shots early in the game- in a few minutes she had rushed to a 5-1 lead, eventually clinching the game with a delightful lob which just bounced over Marianne (who really, could do nothing about it). Indeed, throughout the next few games, Shereen was using the lob strategy to good effect, and Marianne would often be stranded in the middle of the court. However, Marianne became aware of Shereen’s lob strategy, and stopped coming to the net as much. She then started winning the majority of the next few games. The score, now a nerve-wracking 7-6 in favour of KE, got everyone really anxious and even more vocal than usual. Both halls were cheering their hearts and lungs out, hoping that they would be the ones to emerge as victors today. Thankfully for us, Shereen, who had appeared to have lost a bit of focus, dug deep into her reserves and skilfully took on the next 2 matches to win the game 9-6, which nailed KE’s victory for the night!

Well done tennis girls! Looks like our team is on track to defend their Gold medal

KEVIIans who will be free in the evenings this week, please go and support their quest for another gold. Let’s keep the KEVIIan spirit high and cheer our sportsmen on to victories after victories!