Truls Moregard again proved to be Liam PItchford’s downfall as he beat the Englishman in a deciding fifth game at the WTT Champions Macao 2022.

The Swede, who inflicted Pitchford’s only defeat at the World Team Championships a couple of weeks ago, was again drawn to face Pitchford in the first round, the last 32, of a tournament featuring all the world’s top 16 players.

Pitchford started strongly, blitzing through the first game 11-3, but world No 6 Moregard hit back to take the next two.

Pitchford won the fourth to take it into a decider but could not keep the momeumtum in his favour as he was defeated 3-2 (3-11, 11-8, 11-3, 7-11, 11-7).

Pitchford led that deciding game and said afterwards: “I threw it away at 7-4. It’s frustrating, I felt like I had him.

“I’m feeling better (in my game) overall but just froze a bit when it got to that point – I just need to keep working.”

Moregard next faces Wang Yang of Slovakia in the last 16.