Semi Final Match Report – Jacob v Jake 6.2.14

This was it. The pressure was rising. Two excellent players by the name of Jake and Jacob strode with immense power towards the table. All they had ever wanted relied on this game. Win; go through to the final. Lose; a dream larger than all dreams will be shattered into tiny pieces. That’s right. Thursday was the day that the young wonder Jake continued his quest for the table  tennis crown by competing against an old veteran to the sport. None other than Jacob Martindale…
As the match started to gain attention both boys knew everything was on them. When playing for serve in table tennis one should always remain calm as the game has barely started yet. Although in this slightly unorthodox case that rule was thrown in the trash. Jake managed to gain the first serve and boosted his confidence by also grabbing the first point. But as the game progressed Jacob started biting back almost in a desperate attempt just so he could secure that first set. Unfortunately for Jacob and his fans he let the first set slip away to Jake making the final score 11-9 to the rising star.
Moving into the second se,t Jacob stood his ground as current champion and surprised us all with shots that go faster than you can run! Bam!Bam!Bam! He was scoring points like there was no tomorrow. At that point in the game it was clear to say that Jacob has a heavy dose of motivation that could surpass even Mr Mastrelli’s righteous style of play. Because of this streak he was on, Jacob won the second set making the dreaded decider set  awaken from the underworld of table tennis.

 
Both on what some might call “try-hard” mode, the players were pushing and pulling at the title of becoming a finalist until they finally snapped. Jacob’s power shots were becoming less effective but Jake was only rising in skill. Maybe this is a useful trick that may be adopted by some of the best players in the school. My personal thought is that his best selling strategy of staying calm plays an important role in this secret power of Jake’s. As the gamed neared into the second half of its journey you could see that Jake was starting to imagine himself as a winner. Once again Jacob started getting back into the grove of things putting Jake into a risky position. Although he snatched the crown from Jacobs hands making him the new finalist! Commiserations to Jacob, his amazing play shows the mark of a true table tennis player who is not afraid to lose. That mark alone is an important life skill which should be treasured. A very big congratulations to Jake, a finalist in the league and he’s only a year four! Expect a lot more in the near future from this truly outstanding player.
With the semis now over all that remains is the final! Jake will be challenging Lydia, the first female finalist in Park Grove’s Table Tennis history. But that’s another story to tell at a later date. Good luck to both of the finalists. I hope you enjoy the match and remember to have fun!

By George (Class 9)