The 'F'hantoms continued their fine form in the 'semi-final of both the NSL as well as the season-ending Championship Challenge 2010. Through the season, the team dropped a mere 2 ties,and that has to be a record of sorts considering the number of matches played in the actively participated 'F' grade.

Although the NSL 2010 Veterans' Div II's results are already known (SAFRA are champions and UCSC 2nd), UCSC's 'old boys' didn't let up in their enthusiasm to maintain a winning streak. With the result academic, it was still a bunch of buzzing UCSC-sians who battled the 2010 Champions, SAFRA, as a precursor to the Championship Challenge 'Final' to be held on Sat 22nd May.

Already confirmed 2010 Men's B league champions last week with 25 points, it was a relaxed team of 'B'ombers which cruised in early at SAFRA Toa Payoh to play the final match vs. SAFRA as a formality. But for SAFRA, the result had bearings on their final standing in the Men's B as well as valuable points to add to their total tally for the overall Club of the Year title. With 19 points and leading New Pioneers by just 2 points, SAFRA had to get at least 3 points from the match against the 'B'ombers to secure 2nd spot in the Men's B.

Armed with a 4 point lead over 2nd placed Police, the 'C'onquerors needed just 2 points against SCC1 to secure the Men's C title.

First tie for the evening featured the competing teams' respective No. 4s, UCSC's Ben Sim vs. SCC's world-renowned plastic surgeon, Woffles Wu. Warming up for the tie, Dr. Wu was looking extremely confident and raring to go against Ben. After all, the two had just played a social match 2 days back with the surgeon looking good (and why not?) in beating the younger man by a convincing 3-0 margin. Both players started the match well and were locked in a neck-to-neck race until 9-9 before Ben managed to edge ahead to take the 1st set by 11-9. In the 2nd set, Woffles upped the tempo, chasing down every Ben Sim missile and essentially played an error-free game until when leading 7-1 before inexplicably 'hitting a wall'. Woffle's considerable effort in the match so far, were beginning to take a toll. His game fell apart from there and Ben, keen to prove that his defeat to the good doctor 2 days back was not to be taken as a benchmark, eagerly stepped up the pace to catch up and then overtake to race through to win 11-7 for a 2 set lead. It was a spent Woffles who offered scant resistance in the 3rd and final set, gratefully accepting the few points from Ben before the match ended a litttle anti-climactically 11-3 in Ben's favour. It was nevertheless, an admirable performance from the older gentleman..... But first blood to UCSC.