Jan 22nd – Squash Males Finals – KE Strikes Third Gold!

Finals Match	KE vs TH	Thurs, 22/01/09
Squash (M)	King Edward VII	Temasek Hall
Match 1, Set 1	9	0
Match 1, Set 2	10	8
Match 1, Set 3	9	0
Match 2, Set 1	9	5
Match 2, Set 2	9	5
Match 2, Set 3	9	7
Match 3, Set 1	9	1
Match 3, Set 2	9	6
Match 3, Set 3	9	3
Match 4, Set 1	9	1
Match 4, Set 2	9	1
Match 4, Set 3	9	0
Match 5, Set 1	9	0
Match 5, Set 2	9	2
Match 5, Set 3	9	1

5-0 Victory for KE! Congratulations to the Male Squash Team for bringing the 3rd Gold to KE! A big thank you to Christopher Tham, Sean Ang, Raymond Lim, Nicholas, Kwan Rong, Dinaesh, Jiaxu and team!

Writer: Akhilesh

Kwan Rong served the ball near Byron’s feet. Byron moved back and played a backhanded shot, which brought the ball near the wall of the court. Kwan Rong moved across and quickly played a drop shot to end the game. The crowd erupted. The team watching from outside cheered as Kwan Rong shook hands with the opponent and left the court. We had just won the Final against Temasek Hall in Squash (Males) for the Inter Hall Games 2009. 5-0 was the score to KE at the end of the game. The irony of this match on 22nd January 2009 at Squash Court number 3 was the fact that there was drama right through the game, except the point Kwan Rong won to seal the deal.

The first match was played between Daniel (of KE) and Fung Hong (of TH). The two IVP players walked into the court to start off the proceedings. There was huge support for both teams, supporters in red and in white. Daniel served and the match began. He lost the serve and was set to return the first serve from Fung Hong. KE won the serve and soon took the lead. 1 – 0, 2 – 0, 3 – 0, 4 – 0….9 – 0 to KE and we had won the first set. The second set saw a large number of Lets and Stroke balls, which got to the head of both players, especially Fung Hong. Daniel had won the first three points with the help of Stroke balls. 3 – 0 (to KE), TH slowly started picking up their game and soon broke the serve and earned a couple of points. This set was much more interesting than the first and it was a pleasure to see two experienced and skilful people doing what they are best at. Temasek caught up with KE at 6 – 6 and soon took the score to 8 – 6 (To TH). The game was becoming intense and the two IVP players got so caught up in the game that they needed a break, which came in the form of Daniel’s racket hitting Fung Hong on his left hand. That slowed the game down and KE was soon able to reach TH’s score of 8. The game went on and Daniel finished it at 10 – 8 (to KE). The third set was less eventful, as Daniel flew past Fung Hong to reach 9 – 0, without a break in service and won KE the first match (3 – 0).

The ex-JCRC President, Raymond represented KE in their second match against James of TH. KE served and immediately took the lead. Raymond was the only player to have all played all 4 games – (against) KR, Sheares, Raffles and Temasek. Unlike the previous games, he was not able to finish the match fast with his deadly shots. He had to take some time over this game but finished it at 9 – 5 to KE. He finished the second set at 9 – 5, again. In the third set, James rose to the occasion and gave Raymond a fight he enjoyed. The game became very exciting when the score reached 7 – 6 to TH. Many of the KE supporters thought that TH would win this set after they saw the comeback made by James. But unfortunately for Temasek, Raymond was far too experienced in such situations. He won the service and finished the game at 9 – 7. KE won the second match 3 – 0.

Kwan Rong played Byron in the third game. The calmness and composure displayed by Kwan Rong was praiseworthy. He just moved a few steps here and there, never showed any signs of strain and remained cool and unflustered throughout. He stood tall over the first set finishing it at 9 – 1. The second set saw more of a fight from TH. There were a couple of good cross-court smashes and drops, which made the match interesting. TH was in the lead initially winning the first 3 points on the trot. 3 – 0 (to TH) and the game saw its first break in service. Kwan Rong took advantage and earned his first point, but soon lost the service. At 4 – 2 (to TH) KE was able to break through and grab a few quick points to bring the score to 4 – 6 (to KE). Kwan Rong won the set with a classy finish at 9 – 6. The defending champions were a set away from winning the Gold in Squash. The big built Kwan Rong walked into the court and shook hands with Temasek’s Byron. He served and collected points like a young girl plucking flowers from a garden. 8 – 1 to KE and the supporters in red were on their feet waiting to jump with joy. Kwan Rong served perfectly and the supporters rose, but fell as soon as the serve was returned and KE lost the service. The next 5 minutes were the most frustrating minutes for KE in the IHG as Kwan Rong actually made us wait and wait… 8 -1, 8 -2, break, break, 8 – 3, break, break, break…Then it finally happened, before we knew it, the point had been won by KE and so was the gold medal. Kwan Rong won the set 9 – 3 and the match 3 – 0.

Captain, Christopher Tham walked out to play the fourth match against TH’s Mark. His broad and beautiful smile never left his face as he moved to the minimal extent. His game involved a number of deceptive shots and making the opponent run around the court. He served and instantly took the lead. He won the first set 9 – 1. The second set was similar and Chris won it 9 – 1. This match was very one sided as compared to the others and KE won the third set 9 – 0. There was not much to see in this match other than happy KEVIIans cheering from outside. KE won the match 3 – 0.

Denis walked in to play the fifth match. He was unwell and had injured himself earlier. It is unbelievable how he was able to literally toy around with the player from TH. He kept nudging the ball and flicking it back and his drops were actually breathtaking. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the ball. The ball was actually listening to Denis. He played shots such that the ball landed just above the bottom line. He played such shots right through the game. He won the first set 9 – 0, second one 9 – 2 and third one 9 – 1. KE won the match 3 – 0 had finished the match 5 – 0, without even losing a set. Daniel, Raymond, Kwan Rong, Christopher and Denis had made King Edward VII Hall proud by beating Temasek Hall and retaining their spot as the Squash Kings.

Jan 20th – Squash M & F Semis – A Victory & A Defeat

Watch the Squash M Finals this Thursday, 7 – 10pm at SRC!

Semi Finals Match	KE vs RH	Tues, 20/01/09
Squash (M)	King Edward VII	Raffles Hall
Match 1, Set 1 – Sean Ang	9	0
Match 1, Set 2 – Sean Ang	9	2
Match 1, Set 3 – Sean Ang	9	0
Match 2, Set 1 – Kwan Rong	9	6
Match 2, Set 2 – Kwan Rong	9	5
Match 2, Set 3 – Kwan Rong	9	0
Match 3, Set 1 – Raymond Lim	9	1
Match 3, Set 2 – Raymond Lim	9	0
Match 3, Set 3 – Raymond Lim	9	0
Match 4, Set 1 – Nicholas	9	4
Match 4, Set 2 – Nicholas	9	5
Match 4, Set 3 – Nicholas	9	6
Match 5, Set 1 – Christopher Tham	9	0
Match 5, Set 2 – Christopher Tham	9	0
Match 5, Set 3 – Christopher Tham	9	0

KE wins 5 – 0.

Semi Finals Match	KE vs EH	Tues, 20/01/09
Squash (F)	King Edward VII	Eusoff Hall
Match 1, Set 1 – Mas	9	2
Match 1, Set 2 – Mas	9	4
Match 1, Set 3 – Mas	9	6
Match 2, Set 1 – Janice Lee	3	9
Match 2, Set 2 – Janice Lee	0	9
Match 2, Set 3 – Janice Lee	0	9
Match 3, Set 1 – Sakshi	0	9
Match 3, Set 2 – Sakshi	0	9
Match 3, Set 3 – Sakshi	0	9
Match 4, Set 1 – Irene	9	3
Match 4, Set 2 – Irene	9	0
Match 4, Set 3 – Irene	9	2
Match 5, Set 1 – Theng Wai	1	9
Match 5, Set 2 – Theng Wai	2	9
Match 5, Set 3 – Theng Wai	0	9

EH wins 3 -2.

KE Press would like to thank Vincent Lim (JCRC) for providing us with the Results!

Writer: Vincent
Editor: KP

On the 20th January, our mighty Male Squash Team once again demonstrated what it means to be the defending champion by defeating Raffles Hall 5-0. Unfortunately for the Females team, their quest for the gold ended after losing to Eusoff Hall – 3-2.

The day started off with Siti Mastura (Mas) showing us that badminton isn’t the only sport she’s good at (Mas is a National Badminton player). The game started off slow with the service changing over a few times. After Mas has gotten used to the pace, she dominated the game with her powerful serves. The first set ended with a score 9-2 to KE. On the second set, Mas showed the crowd that her badminton techniques were as useful in squash, placing the ball everywhere on the court with a flick of the wrist. The second set thus concluded with a score of 9-4 to KE. The third set ended with a score of 9-6 to KE.

The second match saw KE’s captain Janice Lee facing off with the petite Eusoffian, Nicole. Despite Nicole’s size, her shots were powerful and well placed. After a long and tough battle, Janice finally lost all 3 sets with the score 3-9, 0-9 and 0-9 respectively.

Up next was Sakshi. Despite her many attempts at the ball, the Eusoffian was simply too much for her to handle, losing 0-9 for all 3 sets played.

With the overall score of 1-2 to Eusoff, the pressure was on for us to win the remaining 2 games if we were to get to the finals. In that sense, Irene, one of our key players, definitely did not fail us. Service after service, Irene did not give any chance for the Eusoff player to even have a go at the ball. The game ended with Irene winning all 3 sets with the score 9-3, 9-0 and 9-2 respectively.

The final match between Theng Wai (KEVII) and Aisyah (Eusoff) was to be the determining match for the girls team. Being given the responsibility to bring the girls team one step closer towards the gold medal have definitely put a tremendous amount of pressure on Theng Wai. Even before the game started, it was evident that she was really nervous and banking on this. Nevertheless, the Eusoffian managed to score point after point, ending the match with a score of 1-9, 2-9 and 0-9.

This ended the squash girls’ journey for this IHG. However, KEVII is definitely proud of all the squash girls for putting up such a tough fight and bringing us all the way to the semi-finals. Next up was the guys team’s turn shine.

1st on the line-up was KEVII’s ex-captain and coach, Sean Ang who also happen to be an IVP player. It was no surprise that Sean was dominating the entire game by placing shots at all 4 corners of the court in turn and seeing the Rafflesian running all around the court trying to get the ball. The game finally ended with the score 9-0, 9-2 and 9-0 to KEVII.

Next, Kwan Rong proved the old saying “slow and steady wins the race” by playing what seems to be the longest 3 sets of the day. By calmly playing his own game and never once get sucked into his opponents pace, he was able to hit the ball to the most impossible places for the opponent to reach at the very last second. He was able to win all 3 sets with the score 9-6, 9-5 and 9-0 respectively.

Known for his powerful killer shots, Raymond Lim takes to the court for the 3rd match of day. The match seems to be a walk in the park for Raymond as he coupled a few drop balls with his powerful shot making his opponent run back and forth. Conceding only 1 point in the 1st set, Raymond brought KEVII male squash team to the Finals. The score the 3 sets were 9-1, 9-0 and 9-0.

Even though the winner has been decided, the 4th and 5th match was still played to give the players some in-game experience. After all, the players have already warmed up and were ready to go. The 4th and 5th matches were played almost concurrently at 2 separate courts.

The 4th match was played by Nicholas. Displaying a true spirit of sportsmanship, the Raffles player went all out and put up a tough fight even though the match was only an exhibition match. However, Nicholas was able to thwart the Raffles’ attack and win the 3 sets with the score 9-4, 9-5 and 9-6.
Being a captain was no easy feat and Christopher Tham demonstrated it by crushing his opponent. Even though he started slightly later than the 4th match, it was concluded a lot earlier with the score 9-0 to KEVII in all 3 sets.

With this, the squash semi finals ended with the guys emerging victorious over Raffles Hall with the score of 5-0. Don’t forget to come down and watch as the guys continue the fight for the gold in the final face off against Temasek Hall on Thursday (22nd Jan) at 7pm in SRC.

Jan 18th – Squash M & F – Sailing into the Semis

Squash (M) – Prelims 2	KE vs. SH	Sunday, 18/01/09
	King Edward VII	Sheares Hall
1st Singles	2	0
2nd Singles	2	0
3rd Singles	0	2
4th Singles	2	0
5th Singles	0	2

KE wins 3-2.

Article by: Akhilesh
Editor: Janice Fan

King Edward VII Hall Squash team stomped its way into the Semi Finals of the IHG, on Sunday the 18^th of January 2009 after defeating Sheares Hall 3 – 2. The defending champions did not show any mercy as they brought Sheares Hall down. Four different players were used by Captain Christopher this time (Raymond being repeated).

The ex-Captain Sean Ang played the first match against Tian Long of Sheares Hall. This was a clash of the titans as both Sean and Tian Longwere IV Players. It was a game many of the juniors on either squad would have paid close attention to, because of the skill and experience involved in it. The game began and Sean played an unbelievable knock. He eased his way to a score of 7 – 0 (KE leading). There was a moment of luck for Sheares Hall and they managed to break Sean’s unplayable serve and soon win a point. The game was poised at 1 – 7 and within a few more minutes it ended at 9 – 1, to KE. Sean had won the first set and he had done it with style. It did not take too long for the KE Giant to crush Sheares Hall in the second set, with a devastating 9 – 0. KE had prevailed in the first game with a score of 2 – 0.

The second match was no less of an embarrassment for Sheares Hall. Raymond came, he saw, he warmed up and he conquered. It was easily the quickest match to be seen. 7 minutes (including warm up) is all it took for Raymond to win 9 points against the 1 to Sheares. His style of play was similar to the one he displayed in his last appearance, attacking, smashing and killing. Sheares Hall managed to scrape one point through to lose the set 9 – 1. In the second set, Raymond served and within 4 minutes reached 3 – 0. There was a break in service and Sheares served to lose the ball again. In another 2 minutes the game finished at 9 – 0, to KE. Raymond’s serves always landed on target, which is at the back corner of the court, making it impossible for the opponent to pick up. The match ended at 2 – 0, with KE in the lead.

In the third match, Dinaesh had to face the complete opposite of him. His opponent Karthik was double his size in every sense of the word. Sheares Hall served and quickly earned their first point. Karthik was big built and physically tough, but not as quick as Dinaesh. There were a few shifts in the service, before KE caught up. 1-1 and Sheares won the right to serve. There were a couple of really long rallies but Sheares emerged on top almost all the time. Dinaesh’s glasses fell off once or twice, which caused him to lose a few points. 8 – 1, to Sheares and Dinaesh looked desperate, but he had figured out the big man’s weakness and exploited that. KE repeatedly smashed the ball as low as possible (just above the line) to win 3 quick points. Finally there was a break and Sheares took advantage of it. The set ended at 9 – 4 to Sheares. This was the first set that KE had lost in the IHG. The second set was much more eventful. Dinaesh went into attack mode right from the beginning and the attitude of the game had changed. There were instances when Dinaesh’s racket hit Karthik and the ball was played onto Dinaesh. All these little mishaps added to the excitement in the game. Every Keviian and Shearite sat glued to their seats as the score reached 7 – 4, to Sheares. There was a Stroke ball in favour of Sheares to take the score to 8 – 4. The game ended at
9 – 4, Sheares winning and Dinaesh emerged dejected. It was a hard fought match as both players looked exhausted and so did the teams and spectators. Sheares won the match
2 – 0.

KE’s Captain Christopher or Thamy as he is lovingly called played the fourth match. He entered the court with a broad grin on his face, which is always there. Like a true sportsman, he introduced himself to his opponent and got on with it. Sheares served and won the first three points in quick succession. Chris got the better of Sheares with a very graceful drop and started his game. Before anyone knew what had happened, the score was 3 – 3, KE to serve. KE served near the wall, Sheares returned, KE dropped, Sheares ran forward to drop, KE dropped even closer to the corner this time and took the lead. Very elegantly, Chris closed the game at 9 – 3, to KE. There were a few cordial moments in the game, when the Shearite would spin on his heel to smash the ball forward and Christopher would jump out of the way, which was followed by a minute or two of jesting between the players. The second set started and KE immediately took the lead. 5 – 1 to KE and the game seemed securely in place for KE. There was a rather long rally at this point, which was broken by a neat forehanded cross from Chris. Sheares was all over the court, while KE stood confined to the centre. 8 – 3. KE needed a single point to get into the Semis and that is what they got. Chris made a slightly loose serve, but was able to get the ball under control after the return from Sheares. KE lobbed the ball, which forced Sheares to run to the back of the court to fetch it. The return nearly took Chris’s head, but he ducked and played a drop shot. Sheares dived and missed. The crowd erupted with joy as KE confirmed its position in the Semi Finals. The set ended 9 – 3 and the match 2 – 0 to KE.

Jiaxu was the last player from KE. Sheares served and he returned wildly, thus losing his first point. Jiaxu was unable to keep up with his opponent and as a result lagged by 5 points. At
6 – 0 (Sheares on top), there was a handsome rally which lasted nearly 3 minutes. Jiaxu triumphed in the little battle and was soon able to earn his first point. Sheares soon got back the serve and took the set at 9 – 1. The characteristic of this match was long and well fought battles (rallies). The second set started and it was not how KE would have liked it. Jiaxu had his whole team backing him and he knew it. Chris and Sean had spoken to him at the end of the first set and given him some guidance. But this Shearite just got under Jiaxu’s skin and played only to the Keviian’s weakness. It ended at 9 – 2 and Sheares won the game
2 – 0. King Edward VII Hall defeated Sheares hall 3 – 2, to move into the next round.

The defending champions are looking forward to their next match on Tuesday and so are their supporters in red. KE KE all the way!!

 

 

Squash (F) – Prelims 2	KE vs. TH	Sunday, 18/01/09
	King Edward VII	Temasek Hall
1st Singles	0	2
2nd Singles	2	0
3rd Singles	2	1
4th Singles	0	2
5th Singles	0	2

TH wins 3 -2.

Article by Yu Kit will be up soon.

Jan 14th – Squash (M) KE vs KR, (F) KE vs SH More Victories to KE!

Squash guys and girls with JCRC sports sec Musa

Match	KE vs KR	Wed, 14/01/09
Squash (M)	King Edward VII	Kent Ridge Hall
Match 1, Set 1	9	1
Match 1, Set 2	9	4
Match 2, Set 1	9	3
Match 2, Set 2	9	1
Match 3, Set 1	9	5
Match 3, Set 2	9	4
Match 4, Set 1	9	2
Match 4, Set 2	9	0
Match 5, Set 1	9	8
Match 5, Set 2	10	8

KE7 wins 5-0.

Match	KE vs SH	Wed, 14/01/09
Squash (F)	King Edward VII	Sheares Hall
Match 1, Set 1 – Theng Wai	9	2
Match 1, Set 2 – Theng Wai	9	7
Match 2, Set 1 – Nanthini	7	9
Match 2, Set 2 – Nanthini	4	9
Match 3, Set 1 – Irene	9	0
Match 3, Set 2 – Irene	9	0
Match 4, Set 1 – Janice Lee	9	2
Match 4, Set 2 – Janice Lee	9	2
Match 5, Set 1 – Yuwei	9	4
Match 5, Set 2 – Yuwei	2	9
Match 5, Set 3 – Yuwei	9	3

Overall, KE7 wins 4-1.

Squash (F)

Writer: Janice
Editor: Angel

After cheering the Squash guys on to victory earlier in the night, our girls were prepared to give their very best in their first match of this IHG. Displaying skilful serves and strokes throughout the night, our talented Squash girls have shown that they are indeed a force to be reckoned with!

Yu Wei and her powerful serve

First up was Theng Wai, who showed true steadiness in her match. Five minutes into her first set, the score was 1-2, in favour of Sheares. Not to be shaken, Theng Wai steadily played on and brought the first victory for the Squash girls. It was real exhilarating to be watching this set because Theng Wai’s opponent never had another chance to score; the set culminated in a score of 9-2. The second set saw the opponent fighting back with all she had, and the score stood at 1-5 (with SH leading) a short while into the commencement of the set. However, Theng Wai once again showed her steadiness by slowing catching up and finally winning the second set with a score of 9-7, much to the delight of the KE7 crowd!

While Theng Wai was playing her two sets, Nanthini (Nan) was in a neighbouring court fighting hard for KE as well. The first set saw Nan leading with a score of 7-4, but her opponent started giving swift attacks. Though Nan tried her best, the set eventually ended up with a score of 7-9, with SH winning the first set. The opponent seemed to have been warmed up by her first set, and the second set saw her quickly leading with a score of 2-4, eventually ending with a score of 3-7. There was no doubt that Nan put up a good fight though, the crowd cheered for her even as she exited the courts…

Nan on the court

Next up was Irene, who breezed through her match with grace. She crushed her opponent effortlessly, attaining perfect scores of 9-0, 9-0. The crowd went wild cheering for her fast and remarkable victory. In fact, her second set was over in a few minutes! (It felt like five minutes to me, but I’m not sure how long it actually took :P)

In the neighbouring court, Janice was leading as well. Her opponent was unable to counter many of her strong serves and flawless strokes, try as she might. The girls’ captain thus won her match with an impressive score of 9-2 for both sets.

Female captain Janice Lee in action

Yuwei played the last match of the night, which was a most exciting match indeed. Her first set was won with ease (9-4), and she continued on with the second match without a break, probably because she was on a roll and she was unwilling to break the momentum. The opponent seemed to have warmed up after the first set though, because the second set saw Sheares winning with a score of 2-9. The excitement mounted in the crowd as the players took a break, since the third set would determine the victor. We could see the coaches and captains of both halls giving reminders, tips and advices to secure their victory.

Yuwei hard at work

When the players re-entered the courts for their final set, the crowd watched in anticipation. Yuwei did us proud by quickly establishing a lead of 6-3 with her solid performance, and the match was concluded with a score of 9-3. Hence, overall, KE won SH 4-1, an extraordinary start to Squash’s IHG season!

We wish the Squash girls all the very best for the upcoming matches 🙂

Some words from Janice Lee, our Squash Captain for the girls:

“The match against Sheares went pretty well I thought. Most of our girls went all out and fought for every ball. It has also been a good eye-opener for us in the match today, as the competition is only going to get much tougher as we face Temasek on Sunday. Actually, Sheares has quite a good team of potential players, and I believe that if they train hard, they’ll be quite a force to be reckoned with at the next IHG. We had an edge over them as we had very experienced men players to guide and advice us throughout the match. I would really like to thank the guys for all the support they’ve given to our team. We cannot possibly thank them enough. A big THANK YOU also to our die-hard supporters for all your shouts and cheers! The upcoming match against Temasek would definitely be a tough one, but I believe that with the correct line-up and ten strokes of luck, we might just be able to make it! 🙂 “

Squash (M)

Writer: Akhilesh

14th January 2009 showed the IHG that the once silent red hall is rising up the ranks. King Edward VII Hall, the defending Squash champions proved their worth and might, when they tamed the blue lions. The KE Squash team (male) finished the game on a high note, with a score of 5 – 0. Every KEVIIan present watched on with awe as the first two matches finished within nearly 10 minutes of their start. ‘Been there, experienced it’, the team led by Christopher displayed nothing less than experience. Daniel, Raymond, Kwan Rong, Denis and Aravind did not let their captain nor Hall down.

There was a large crowd of red present to watch the team perform in the first Squash match for the Inter Hall Games 2008/09 season. At 7 pm, the attention of every single person at the SRC Squash courts shifted to court number 3. Daniel walked into the court, high on confidence. He started with a perfect serve, landing the ball near the corner of the back wall, which was picked up and turned into a rather long rally. Finally, KE managed to win the point. Daniel took the next few points to warm up. 3 – 0 to KE, the game had just begun for him. Eight perfect serves helped him earn 8 invaluable points for his side. Then a moment of brilliance allowed Kent Ridge to break the serve and soon earned a point, but it did not help much because Daniel was back in action and soon got back the service. He closed the set at 9 – 1.

The second set was more of a fight from the opponent as he was able to earn a few hard fought early points. But being one of the top players among the many in KE, Daniel was able to keep the game under his racket and finished it at 9 – 4 to KE. Daniel won the first match 2 – 0 and started what seemed like a never ending night for Kent Ridge.

At the same time match two was going on and none other than our Ex JCRC President, Raymond was part of it. He lost his first point but recovered early enough to earn his first point and take the lead. Court number 2 was the centre of action for the next ten minutes, as Raymond manoeuvred his way through his tough competition to bring the score to 4 – 1 to KE. He served past the man in blue to take the score to 5 – 1. The tiny black ball was smashed by Raymond, after which he moved to the centre of the court waiting for the return. The ball was returned but Raymond was not able to play his shot, despite his being in the right position. He turned to the referee and asked for a Let, which was refused. Service broke and KR served. The match was nice to see as both players were well matched. Each point was fought for, but KE was able to soar to a score of 9 – 3. In the second set, Raymond scored 8 quick points to lead 8 to nothing. The set ended with a score of 9 – 1 and Raymond won the match 2 – 0, just after KR lost their first match to Daniel.

In the third match, KE was represented by Kwan Rong. His imposing build was enough to put doubts of victory in the mind of his opponent from Kent Ridge. Kwan Rong’s style was different as compared to that of Daniel’s and Raymond’s. He was a patient player, who played on the opponent’s mistakes. In this manner KE’s third warrior took his time in beating KR’s Joshua. This was again a very exciting match as Joshua was fast around the court, while Kwan Rong stretched from one end to another picking up the kills made. The experience displayed by Kwan Rong was something worth watching. He may not be fast but the placement of his shots is inch perfect. The game ended with a score of 9 – 5 to KE. The second set saw Joshua leading 3 – 0, while Kwan Rong patiently played along. The service broke and KE started picking up points. 3 – 2 to KR, 3 – 3, 4 – 3 to KE, 5 – 3 to KE, 6 – 3 to KE, break and then KR’s serve. The battle between Joshua and Kwan Rong continued as the match inched itself towards an end. KE was 2 points short of a victory in their first Squash match, but the serve was Joshua’s. KR served, KE returned the shot and KR hit a perfect backhanded cross court shot which lay low, but Kwan Rong’s long arm managed to flick the ball back to a surprised Joshua. The service was broken and Kwan Rong took the game to the end, with a score of 9 – 4. The third match was thus won 2 – 0.

Kent Ridge did not realize what hit them, when Denis came to play the 4th match. This match was one worth watching solely for that guy’s skill and composure. The Squash court has never seen him flustered or at a loss of shots (I have observed this during the training sessions I’ve had with him). He came, he danced around the court like a deer jumping from one piece of submerged land to another and destroyed. Actually destroy is too harsh a word to use for his game play. It was more like a lull to death. A 9 – 2 win for Denis in the first set was enough to bring the greatest joy to the Keviians. The fans in red could not catch much of Denis’s game as the nail biting match between Kwan Rong and Joshua was going on at the same time. One of KE Squash team said, “He (Denis) gives the impression that he’ll never reach the ball, but always does.” He toyed his way to a 9 – 0 victory, thereby winning the match 2 – 0.

The fifth and final match was ‘the entertainer’ for the night. Aravind with his infamous behind the back and between the legs shots managed to deceive the opponent a number of times. The longest match of the night began with a serve from KR, which they lost immediately. Aravind worked his way with unbelievable shots which everyone looked at with awe and amusement. After a long fight, the score was 4 – 1 to KR. There was one shot which changed the future of the match. KR served and KE missed the shot, KR relaxed and turned around, KE was quick to get a shot after the ball rebounded of the glass panel, KR fell to his knees. Aravind’s flight finally took off as he managed to end the game 9 – 8 to KE. The second set saw pretty much similar action except KR snatched a loss from the jaws of victory. In both sets the scores reached 8 – 8 and KR had to decide whether to let the game go on to 9 or 10 points. Aravind managed to win the set, 10 – 8. The match was won 2 – 0 and King Edward VII Hall defeated Kent Ridge 5 – 0.

The KEVIIans enjoyed every second of the 5 games, whether it was Daniel finishing the game in minutes or Raymond making wicked kills or Denis prancing to an untainted victory or Kwan Rong enjoying his game or Aravind making shocking and never before seen shots (in a real match). A 5 – 0 wipe-out is what allowed the KEVIIans to remain proud of their remarkable Squash team.