Rebatenne Unhappy Despite Bright Start
Boitumelo Khutsafalo | Monday February 8, 2016 14:27
“I won but I am not happy with the way I performed overall. I was very poor with the service returns. Whenever I do the service, I should be on the advantage and should know where the opponent is going to put the ball. But I did not do well in that regard. I was always caught off guard,” she explained.
She said since the beginning of the year, her performance has not yet reached the levels she wants.
The first set against Kangooti of BDF club was closely contested, but Rebatenne managed to steal it. She then dominated the second set, winning 11-4. Kangooti came back stronger in the second set taking the lead from the start to the end of the set. The set ended 11-3 in her favour. Rebatenne fought back in the fourth set and won 11-6.
With many expecting Rebatenne to go onto wrap up the match, Kangooti proved once again that she was no pushover. She took an early lead and opened a gap until towards the end of the set when Rebatenne tried to force a comeback.
But it was too late and Kangooti took the set with an 11-9 score. The last set was also fiercely contested, shifting from one side to another many times until Rebatenne stole it with a 12-10 score.
“Tshepiso (Rebatenne) was a challenging opponent of course, but it was not impossible to beat her.
The sets that I won were the ones where I took my time and played a more relaxed game. Whenever I rushed, I failed to think properly and I lost the sets,” Kangooti told The Monitor Sport after her match against Rebatenne.
She said her strategy going into the match was to attack knowing Rebatenne is an offensive player as well. Kangooti had earlier lost 4-0 to Boitshwarelo Butale and bemoaned lack of proper training because of school commitments.
Meanwhile in the men’s league, Joseph Kgatlampane of Smash Maniacs club handed Thobo Matlhatsi of BDF his first loss of the season. Kgatlampane won 4-3 in one of the most entertaining matches of the day.