St Joseph’s Institution retain B Div tennis crown in nervy final, MGS win third straight title

SINGAPORE – A bundles of nerves would be an apt description of St Joseph’s Institution’s (SJI) Noah Khoo ahead of his first National School Games final.

To add to the pressure he felt in the B Division boys’ tennis title decider against Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), his doubles match also turned out to be a must-win encounter as both teams were tied at 2-2.

But the 14-year-old, who partnered Takuya Kaneko, kept his calm and stepped up as they came from behind twice – 3-0 in the first set and 5-4 in the second – to win 6-4, 7-5, helping SJI retain the title at the Kallang Tennis Hub on March 4.

Noah, who was told that he would be playing in the final four days prior, said: “I was really nervous before the match, because I’ve never played in a final before as I thought I wasn’t going to get picked.

“I actually developed a sore throat during the match, because the air was very cold and I’ve never played in this environment before,” added Noah, who cited a previous comeback win over the same opponents and his faith in God for steadying his nerves.

“I thought we were going to lose because of my sore throat, but we managed to pull through.”

SJI had led 2-0 after wins in the first two singles matches – Cedric Tan defeated Matthew Tay 6-4, 6-1, while Justin Lie beat Joshua Kwan 6-1, 6-1.

But ACS(I) halved the deficit by clinching the first doubles, with Dylan Chan and Jack Khoo beating Asher Sandhu and Ng Shen Wei 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. Andre Harnadi then levelled the scores with his 6-3, 6-0 win over Brennon Ng.

That set the stage for Noah and Takuya’s comeback victory over ACS(I)’s Koh Heng Kai and Ryan Tang, which sent the SJI supporters into a frenzy.

SJI coach Tan Xu Teng said: “Our boys played very bravely, considering that they lost 4-1 two years ago to the same team in the C Division.

“It’s a wonderful stadium where all three courts can see each other and the second wave is waiting behind… So inevitably, when they (Noah and Takuya) go on, they will know the big picture.

“They knew that it’s either them or Brennon, one of them had to win and the expectation and the understanding is that they go out there and do their best.”

In a day of drama, SJI’s Cedric was given just 15 minutes’ notice that he would be playing in the final, having pulled his hamstring on Feb 19 and missed the semi-final against Victoria School on Feb 24.

The 15-year-old said: “I got my injury during training and I didn’t play for a few days… But I’m thankful that the coaches allowed me to play the final, and I was quite happy that they have faith in me and that I managed to perform for the school.”

ACS(I)’s Ryan, who broke down after losing the decider, admitted that there was pressure on them, but was proud that “they never gave up”.

In the girls’ final, Methodist Girls’ School (MGS) beat Nanyang Girls’ High School 4-1 to clinch their third straight B Division title.

MGS had led 2-0 following Janie Ho’s 7-5, 6-2 win over Kate Yap and Natalie Chen’s 7-5, 6-3 victory over Janelle Chen.

Nanyang pulled one back through doubles pair Kyra Lee and Kayla Quah, who beat Chevonne Hoi and Rebecca Lum 6-2, 6-3.

But MGS’ second doubles duo Caitlin Woo and Clara Chow secured the title with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Isabelle Lim and Yuan Jia Tong, before Kelly Chen put the icing on the cake with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Wang Xin Yan.

MGS’ Chevonne had to find a new partner after captain Kiersten Lim underwent surgery in January, leaving the latter out of action for over a month.

Despite their loss, Chevonne said: “For Rebecca, it was a new experience and they (Rebecca and Kiersten) have different playing styles… so it was a good new experience. I have to learn to play with different people as a doubles partner and you just have to be ready for the unexpected.

“Regardless of the result, we are happy that our team did well.”

MGS coach Ang Hock Chai said: “I chose the best from my team and they had to make sure that they can calm themselves, play to their best and not be worried about the surroundings.

“Before the start of the tournament, everybody was looking at us and felt that we should be the favourites to win…

“I trust the players, but I was just concerned about their mental strength inside here... but they turned out to be really good in the end.”

Correction note: In an earlier version of the story, we referred to Chevonne Hoi as a Nanyang player instead of MGS. This has been corrected.