Liam Pitchford won his ‘battle of Britain’ with Gavin Rumgay and there were singles victories for Sam Walker and Kelly Sibley at the Commonwealth Games this morning, while para athletes Ross Wilson, Felicity Pickard and Kim Daybell are all into the semi-finals.
Pitchford saw his Scottish opponent level the match at 1-1, but the Englishman then laid down a marker for the rest of the match with an 11-1 win in the third, and he never relinquished control, winning 4-1 to go into the quarter-finals.
Liam said: “Gavin is a great competitor, he never gives up. I’m not playing my best table tennis but I’m trying to find it and fighting hard and happy to be in the quarter-final.”
Sam Walker also earned his place in the quarter-finals after beating Northern Ireland’s Paul McCreery 4-0, but Paul Drinkhall lost out after a close game to Canada’s Eugene Wang. Despite taking the first game 11-8, Drinkhall eventually lost out 4-2 (8-11, 11-7, 13-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-4).
Both Pitchford and Walker face Indian opponents in the quarters tomorrow – Pitchford is up against Sharath Achanta at 4.10am UK time and Walker plays Sathiyan Gnanasekaran at 7.30am.
In the women’s singles, Ho lost out on her place in the quarter-finals after a long match against world No 88 Mouma Das of India in the last 16. It ebbed and flowed, with Ho leading 2-1 and 3-2 only for Das to come back and take the decider 11-8.
Denise Payet was handed a draw against world No 26 Mo Zhang of Canada and was beaten 4-0, leaving Sibley to carry the England flag into the quarter-finals. She had a good 4-2 win over another Indian team gold medallist, Madhurika Patkar, who is ranked No 112.
Speaking after her match she said: “I’m very, very pleased. I think looking at the seedings she was ranked above me so I knew I had nothing to lose, but I also believed in myself that if I could put in a really good performance that I would have a very good chance and that is exactly what I did.
“It is fantastic to see so many English people here supporting me. Hearing the support from the crowd and hearing my mum and dad shout a little bit louder always gives me a boost. I’m very grateful for their support.”
She faced the No 1 seed Feng Tianwei of Singapore in the quarters and went in with nothing to lose against the world No 4. She gave a good account of herself before being knocked out 4-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-3, 14-12).
In the para singles events, all three English athletes – Ross Wilson, Kim Daybell and Felicity Pickard – had victories this morning to move into the semi-finals tomorrow.
in the men’s TT6-10 class, Wilson will face Josh Stacey of Wales, while Daybell’s opponent is South Africa’s Theo Cogill, both matches at 1.05am. Pickard plays Faith Obazuaye of Nigeria at 2.15am in the women’s TT6-10 singles.
Doubles
In the women’s doubles, Sibley & Payet were defeated by Zhang & Alicia Cote of Canada in the last 16, but Ho and Maria Tsaptsinos won their match against Vanuatu’s Anolyn Lulu and Priscilla Tommy (3-0). However, they lost out in the quarter-finals to Manika Batra & Mouma Das of India 3-1 (12-14, 11-3, 7-11, 11-6).
Charlotte Carey & Chloe Thomas of Wales went out in the last 16 to India’s Sutirtha Mukherjee & Pooja Sahasrabudhe.
Pitchford & Ho and Sam Walker & Payet are into the mixed doubles quarters, but David McBeath & Kelly Sibley were defeated by leading Indian pair Sharath Achanta & Das.
The next round takes place at 1.40am as Walker & Payet take on Gao Ning & Yu Mengyu of Singapore, while Pitchford & Ho play Sanil Shetty & Madhurika Patkar of India.
In the men’s doubles last 16, Walker & McBeath had a 3-0 victory over Rumgay & Craig Howieson of Scotland and they were followed into the quarter-finals by Drinkhall & Pitchford, who made sure there were no slip-ups this time against Nigeria, beating Bode Abiodun & Olajide Omotayo in three straight.
Pitchford said: “I think it went really well. We started off on the front foot. Our first set was a little touch and go and then we got a lead. We put a lot of pressure on them and they didn’t realise have an answer to our play today. I thought we played really well.”
Paul McCreery & Ashley Robinson of Northern Ireland went out in the last 16 to Harmeet Desai & Sanil Shetty of India.
The quarter-finals are at 12.30am tomorrow – Walker & McBeath facing Achanta & Gnanasekaran, while Pitchford & Drinkhall play Gao Ning & Pang Xue Jie of Singapore.
Results
Men’s Singles
Round of 16
Liam Pitchford bt Gavin Rumgay (SCO) 4-1 (11-6, 9-11, 11-1, 11-8, 11-2)
Samuel Walker bt Paul McCreery (NIR) 4-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-3, 11-4)
Zhen Wang (CAN) bt Paul Drinkhall 4-2 (8-11, 11-7, 13-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-4)
Women’s Singles
Round of 16
Kelly Sibley bt Madhurika Patkar (IND) 4-2 (11-9, 11-8, 2-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-6)
Mouma Das (IND) bt Tin-Tin Ho 4-3 (11-7, 7-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-7, 11-8)
Mo Zhang (CAN) bt Denise Payet 4-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-7, 11-6)
Quarter-finals
Feng Tianwei (SGP) bt Sibley 4-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-3, 14-12)
Men’s Doubles
Round of 16
Sam Walker & David McBeath bt Craig Howieson & Gavin Rumgay (SCO) 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-9)
Paul Drinkhall & Liam Pitchford bt Bode Abiodun & Olajide Omotayo (NGR) 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-3)
Women’s Doubles
Round of 16
Alicia Cote & Mo Zhang bt Kelly Siley & Denise Payet 3-1 (8-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-5)
Tin-Tin Ho & Maria Tsaptsinos bt Anolyn Lulu & Priscilla Tommy (VAN) 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-5)
Quarter-finals
Manika Batra & Mouma Das (IND) bt Tin-Tin Ho & Maria Tsaptsinos 3-1 (12-14, 11-3, 11-7, 11-6)
Mixed Doubles
Round of 16
Sharath Achanta & Mouma Das (IND) bt David McBeath & Kelly Sibley 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-9)
Sam Walker & Denise Payet bt Javen Choong & Karen Lyne (MAS) 3-1 (12-10, 11-6, 8-11, 11-2)
Liam Pitchford & Tin-Tin Ho bt Trent Carter & Tracy Feng (AUS) 3-1 (11-6, 5-11, 11-6, 11-9)
Men’s TT6-10 Singles
Group 1
Kim Daybell bt Ian Kent (CAN) 3-0 (11-7, 11-1, 11-7)
Group 2
Ross Wilson bt Temitope Ogunsanya (NGR) 3-0 (11-2, 11-3, 11-3)
Women’s TT6-10 Singles
Group 1
Felicity Pickard bt Maitreyee Sarkar (IND) 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-9)
