Paul Drinkhall and Tom Jarvis have been unable to hitch Liam Pitchford in the primary draw of the WTT Contender Rio, although they saved eight match factors between them earlier than going out within the third and remaining qualifying spherical.
Drinkhall face Germany’s Ricardo Walther, ranked 11 locations above him at No 70 on the planet and 4 successive factors from 5-5 broke the again of the primary sport for Walther. Drinkhall then gained the primary three factors of the second sport however misplaced it 11-4 because the German took cost.
The subsequent two video games have been a lot nearer and Drinkhall acquired himself again in it, saving three match factors (8-10 and 10-11) earlier than claiming the sport 14-12.
The fourth adopted a lot the identical sample and Drinkhall saved three extra match factors at 9-10, 10-11 and 11-12 however couldn’t this time engineer a sport level of his personal and was crushed 14-12.
Jarvis was up towards India’s Harmeet Desai (WR 63). an opponent he had twice crushed. There was to be no repeat this time as Desai held the benefit all through.
He pulled away from 5-5 to take the primary and rapidly opened a spot within the second with a run of 5 factors from 3-2.
Jarvis fought laborious within the third however was all the time behind till he pulled degree at 8-8. Desai introduced up two match factors, which Jarvis saved, however the Indian then took the following two factors to take the sport 12-10 and seal victory.
Pitchford stays the one English participant within the occasion and can face Germany’s world No 10 Dimitrij Ovtcharov within the final 32 on Thursday. The match is on Desk 1 at 3.45pm UK time.
Outcomes
Males’s Singles
Qualifying spherical 3
Ricardo Walther (GER) bt Paul Drinkhall 3-1 (11-6, 11-4, 12-14, 14-12)
Harmeet Desai (IND) bt Tom Jarvis 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 12-10)
