Liam PITCHFORD lost to Sharath Kamal ACHANTA of India in the men’s singles gold medal match at the Commonwealth Games. Pitchford was beaten 4-1 and had to settle for silver – still the best English singles result at the Games.
The pair had met four times before and it stood at two wins apiece – though they hadn’t played each other since the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
PITCHFORD beat ACHANTA twice at those Games – once in the team event semi-finals and memorably overcoming him 4-2 in the bronze medal match.
Not that it would have much bearing on a match for gold eight years later but perhaps a good omen.
After the match Pitchford said: “It was a difficult match he played unbelievably well and credit to him 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; he was just solid.I think I got caught up in trying to hit the ball past him and he was just waiting. I struggled a bit with his serve I didn’t know if it was half-long or short I was struggling to keep it there and you have to keep him out otherwise he is on top of you.”
“If you told me two weeks ago I would get a silver medal in the singles I would have bitten your hand off because people don’t know what goes on behind the scenes. It’s been tough and honestly I’ve been close to not stepping out on the court anymore and to come and get to a final and give everything I just didn’t have anything left today.”
“But I’m proud I came out and got a silver medal today I’m obviously disappointed with losing but a silver is better than nothing.”
In Doubles Pitchford and Paul DRINKHALL clinched gold. They beat ACHANTA and Sathiyan GNANASEKARAN in the final.
In the match for bronze in Women’s Doubles Wales’pairings Charlotte CAREY and Anna HURSEY beat WONG Xin Ru and ZHOU Jingyi of Sigapore 3-1.
