By Iman Talia (24S03E), Syaura Nashwa (24S03R), Vera Heng (24S03R)
On 11 May 2023, the back and forth of the tennis ball reverberated around the courts. As the sound punctuated the still air, the spectators held their breath: who would get the next point, Hwa Chong or Raffles?
It wasn’t an easy fight. Every time a point was scored, the audience erupted into raucous cheers. Eagle-eyed supporters craned their necks, not wanting to miss a single rally. Even with the racket created by a nearby grass cutter, the spectators’ cheers were strong, loud and unyielding. The intense atmosphere was clearly evident, with both sides determined to win.
Doubles match: Sarah-Anne Wong Anqi (24S03A) and Lim Zhi Qi Victoria (23S06B) demonstrating mutual encouragement on court.
All eyes were on the last court standing. Players from other courts came around to speculate, eager to see what would ensue – the tense silence was only broken by the sound of the nearby MRT.
Sensing the strained atmosphere, the councillors began to lead the school cheer once again, “Let’s go, Raffles, let’s go!”. Every point gained was accompanied by vociferous cheers from the respective schools; each set brought the game one step closer to determining the final champion.
After hours of sweat, intense focus and sheer perseverance, the final match decided the winner; spectators of both schools gathered at the centre of the court, cheering on the Raffles athletes for their well-deserved win.
“While it may have seemed smooth-sailing, we faced many obstacles along our NSG journey. We had to re-order the lineup and make some unexpected changes along the way even on the day before finals. But I’m really glad how we remained open-minded and readily adapted to all the hiccups faced,” recounted Ashley Goh Yu Xuan (24S06H).
“We also managed to raise our levels during critical points, and given that we were playing against formidable opponents, we had to work hard to create chances for ourselves and took advantage of [these chances], which eventually allowed us to win the title.”
Want to see them in action? Watch this video by Raffles Press here:
Tennis Girls’ Finals Line-Up:
First singles — Lourelei Kate Alburo (24S03G)
Second Singles – Sarah Chan Li-Ann (23S03G)
Third Singles – Deborah Lim Li Jun (23S06I)
First Doubles – Sarah-Anne Wong Anqi (24S03A), Lim Zhi Qi Victoria (23S06B)
Second Doubles – Ashley Goh Yu Xuan (24S06H), Sofia-Jane Wong Enqi (24S07A)
