Liam Pitchford beaten in men’s table tennis final at Commonwealth Games

England’s Liam Pitchford had to settle for silver as he lost to India’s Sharath Kamal Achanta in the men’s singles table tennis final at the Commonwealth Games.

Pitchford won the first game but Achanta – the bronze medallist four years ago on the Gold Coast – bounced back to seal a 4-1 victory and take gold.

The silver is Pitchford’s third medal of the Games, adding to gold in the doubles and bronze in the team event.

“It was a difficult match, honestly he (Achanta) played unbelievably well and credit to him,” Pitchford said.

“I think honestly after the first set and a half I didn’t really know where to play against him.

“He was just there, he knew every ball where I was playing and he was just solid and I probably got caught up in trying to hit the ball past him and he was just waiting.

“If you told me two or three weeks ago that I’d get a silver medal in the singles I’d have bitten your hand off.

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games – Day Eleven
Pitchford won three medals at the Birmingham Games (Tim Goode/PA)

“I just didn’t have anything left today, but I’m proud that I came out and I’ve got a silver medal away from the event.”

Wales took bronze in the women’s doubles as Charlotte Carey and Anna Hursey secured a 3-1 win over their opponents from Singapore.

Hursey said: “We could easily have lost the first two sets, but we got through it. We both played absolutely amazing. We were both nervous but we got through it in the end.

“We trained for it and we deserved to win that medal. I was so happy at the end. I was in tears, too.”

England’s Paul Drinkhall narrowly missed out on bronze after coming from three games behind before losing 4-3 to India’s Sathiyan Gnanasekaran.

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games – Day Eleven
Drinkhall narrowly missed out on bronze in the men’s singles table tennis (Tim Goode/PA)

“It’s been really good support all the time, I think we like an underdog in England and Britain so at 3-0 that’s what I was and I almost pulled it off,” Drinkhall said.

“I think I gave it everything I had to give. I found something a little bit too late. Even in the last set I gave myself a chance but it was too late.”

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