Commonwealth Games: Liam Pitchford wins table tennis silver; Wales' Charlotte Carey & Anna Hursey bronze

Commonwealth Games: Liam Pitchford wins table tennis silver; Wales' Charlotte Carey & Anna Hursey bronze
_126242021_gettyimages-1242383880.jpgPitchford has competed in four Commonwealth Games

England's Liam Pitchford had to settle for silver in the men's singles table tennis final at the Commonwealth Games.

Pitchford started well but India's Sharath Kamal Achanta fought back to win 11-13 11-7 11-2 11-6 11-8.

Wales' Charlotte Carey and Anna Hursey claimed bronze in the women's doubles, defeating Singapore's Wong Xin Ru and Zhou Jingyi 16-14 14-12 9-11 12-10.

England's Paul Drinkhall lost a thrilling bronze-medal match 3-2 to Sathiyan Gnanasekaran of India.

After winning men's doubles gold and bronze in the men's team event earlier in the Games, Pitchford, 29, now has 10 Commonwealth medals from four Games and Drinkhall has eight.

"If you told me even a week ago that I'd get a silver medal in the singles, I would have bitten your hand off," said Pitchford.

"I'm proud that I came out and I got a silver medal. I'm disappointed with losing but silver is better than nothing."

From 3-0 down Drinkhall staged an incredible comeback to level the match but Gnanasekaran stepped up in the decider to win 11-9 11-3 11-5 8-11 9-11 10-12 11-9.

"I gave everything I had to give, found something a little bit too late but even in the last set I gave myself a chance."

Now 16, Hursey, was just 11 when she became the youngest Wales competitor at a Commonwealth Games on Australia's Gold Coast four years ago.

"It's been an amazing Commonwealths," said Hursey, who was part of the Wales women's team who just missed out on a medal.

"We really needed that after the team event, but we did it."

Carey, 26, who is competing in her fourth Games after making her debut aged 14 in Delhi in 2010, was in tears after the victory.

"I am just so happy," said Carey. "I think after the team event we were so gutted not to come away with bronze.

"I was so nervous, though Anna was amazing."

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