Nanyang Polytechnic, Tuesday, 6 January 2009 - National University of Singapore (NUS) took the lead in table tennis with a 4-1 win over Singapore Polytechnic (SP) in the 2009 Institute-Varsity-Polytechnic Games.
Though nervous in settling down, NUS soon took control of the game with numerous smashes. In the few instances where SP managed to lead NUS in a longer rally, NUS had also prevailed. The only minor blip in NUS's performance was in the third singles where Michelle Lee faced off with Steller Chan from SP. Throughout the match, her nervousness seemed to have unsettled her and with a strong performance from Steller, Michelle never did managed to settle down. The third singles ended with 5 sets. The spectators were treated to a display of breath-taking strokes and utmost excitment. The fifth set went into deuce twice at 10-10 but Steller's superior fitness with timely strategy given by her coach finally allowed her to gain SP's only match point.
Chinese coach for the National University of Singapore women’s team, Li Guo Bin commented in Chinese that he was slightly disappointed with the team’s performance, however, was pleased with their positive attitude and devotion towards the sport. He felt that some techniques could be improved further.
Despite his disappointment, he remarked that the priority for these students is their education and they have sacrificed their term break to train for the games. Essentially, they have done well given that they have had been training harder in the last three weeks prior to the games.