England’s inexperienced women’s team exited the European Team Championships in the group stage with a 3-0 defeat to Austria this evening.

Both teams had been beaten 3-0 by reigning champions Germany in their first match and knew that victory would put them into the knockout stage.

Jasmin Wong led England out against world No 124 Amelie Solja, the Austrians’ leading player as they are without world No 23 Sofia Polcanova at this event.

Wong found her opponent’s style awkward and the Austrian was able to increasingly impose it on Wong, her margins of victory becoming greater in each game.

Emily Bolton started slowly against Karoline Mischek (WR 193), well known in English table tennis circles as the doubles partner of Tin-Tin Ho – they won European under-21 gold together.

Ho’s compatriot Bolton found herself 6-1 down in the first but worked her way back to 8-7 down before Mischek took it 11-8 on her second game point.

Bolton could not make sufficient inroads in the second game, but she led the third early on and later worked her way into a 9-8 lead before Mischek slammed the door.

Mollie Patterson (pictured above) had, on paper, a less arduous task against Anastasia Sterner (WR 430), but it did not work out that way at first. She held her own in the first game, which Sterner took 11-7, but went 7-0 down in the second and could find no way back from that deficit.

But the Norfolk athlete played a hugely positive third game, taking the lead midway through and never relinquishing it as she got on the board by an 11-7 margin.

But the comeback was nipped in the bud as Sterner powered away with a run of points in the middle of the fourth and completed the win after Patterson had saved two match points.

Meanwhile, England men will face Hungary in their last 16 tie at 9am UK time on Thursday. Details of how to watch will be published shortly.

Results

Women’s Group A
Austria 3 England 1
Amelie Solja bt Jasmin Wong 3-0 (11-6, 11-4, 11-2)
Karoline Mischek bt Emily Bolton 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-9)
Anastasia Sterner bt Mollie Patterson 3-1 (11-7, 11-3, 7-11, 11-5)