England’s Liam Pitchford & Wales’ Anna Hursey missed out on a European Championships medal in Austria today as their Mixed Doubles campaign ended in the quarter-finals.

Having defeated the sixth seeds in the last 16, the British pair were up against Germany’s Patrick Franziska & Annett Kaufmann, who themselves knocked out the second seeds earlier in the day.

With England not having won a medal at the Euros this century – and the last Mixed medal coming way back in 1980 – this was a historic chance for Pitchford, and even more so for Hursey, with Wales never having been represented on a European podium.

It was a close three-game match, but their opponents always had the answer when it mattered – though Pitchford & Hursey had an opportunity to take the first when they led 11-10, having saved two game points at 8-10.

The German pair took that 13-11 and led through the second, adding it 11-8. Pitchford & Hursey, though, pulled out a 7-1 lead in the third and had five game points to prolong their stay in the competition.

Four game points were saved, prompting the timeout, but it was to no avail as Franziska & Kaufmann completed a run of seven successive points to win it 12-10.

Pitchford & Hursey, the 16th seeds, will feel they missed a couple of chances but, despite being a relatively new pairing, have really gelled and have proved capable of beating highly-ranked opponents.

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Earlier, Pitchford & Hursey defeated sixth seeds Eduard Ionescu & Elizabeta Samara of Romania in the last 16.

They made a slow start, put clawing their way back from 7-2 down before losing the first meant 11-8 they took some momentum into the second game, which they won 11-5.

The third saw the British pair on the cusp of taking the lead at 10-7, but their opponents hit back to win it 13-11.

No matter – Pitchford & Hursey simply refocused and from that point on never looked like losing as they won the fourth 11-6 and steadily pulled away to take the decider 11-4.

Click here to watch the match on demand at ETTU.TV

In the Women’s Doubles today, Tin-Tin Ho & Italy’s Debora Vivarelli were knocked out in the last 32 by 12th seeds Izabela Lupulesku & Sabina Surjan of Serbia.

In the Men’s Doubles, Pitchford & Sam Walker were unable to make a 2-1 lead stick against the awkward pairing of Konstantinos Angelakis of Greece & Yang Wang of Slovakia.

The English pair, seeded 16th, won games two and three but struggled for consistent rhythm against their two defensive opponents, who worked their way back and won the decider 11-8.

Connor Green, partnering Hakan Isik of Turkey, also went out. Up against 11th seeds Darko Jorgic of Slovenia and Tomislav Pucar of Croatia, they always faced a tough match and although they had their moments – and led the third 8-6 – they went out in three.

Results

Mixed Doubles
Round of 16
Liam Pitchford & Anna Hursey bt Eduard Ionescu & Elizabeta Samara (ROU) 3-2 (8-11, 11-5, 11-13, 11-6, 11-5)

Quarter-finals
Patrick Franziska & Annett Kaufmann (GER) bt Pitchford & Hursey 3-0 (13-11, 11-8, 12-10)

Women’s Doubles
Round of 32
Izabela Lupulesku & Sabina Surjan (SRB) bt Tin-Tin Ho & Debora Vivarelli (ITA) 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-5)

Men’s Doubles
Round of 32
Konstantinos Angelakis (GRE) & Yang Wang (SVK) bt Liam Pitchford & Sam Walker 3-2 (11-7, 7-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-8)
Tomislav Pucar (CRO) & Darko Jorgic (SLO) bt Connor Green & Hakan Isik 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-8)