Will Bayley & Theo Bishop took bronze in the men’s class 14 doubles on the final day of the ITTF World Para Challenger Lasko in Slovenia today.

In a strong tournament against some of the best doubles teams in the world there were also signs of promise from some new British combinations that will gain further experience in the ITTF World Para Elite Lasko tournament that starts on Monday.

Men’s class 14

In their first match since taking silver in the European Championships last November Will Bayley & Theo Bishop fought back from 6-2 down against Peng Weinan & Chen Chao to take the third set 13-11 and lead 2-1, before taking the deciding set 11-7 after the Para Asian Championships bronze medallists from China had levelled the match at 2-2.

They had to fight hard again in their second match to come back from 2-1 down against Marcin Zielinski & Piotr Manturz, taking the fourth set 11-7 to level at 2-2 before edging the deciding set 14-12 to beat the European Paralympic Youth Games champions from Poland 3-2.

That took them through to the knockout stages and as group winners they received a round of 16 bye into the quarter-finals. After losing a tight first set 12-10 Bayley & Bishop levelled at 1-1 against Luka Trtnik from Slovenia & Ben Despineux from Belgium and went on to win 3-1.

They never really got going in the semi-final against Sam Gustaffson & Jonas Hansson and the Swedish pair, gold medallists in Italy and Chile already this year, were too strong today in a 3-0 win.

“I think we could have done a lot better,” said a disappointed Bayley. “I didn’t really get going and I was frustrated with myself. I wasn’t brilliant mentally today and I think I let myself down at times. Mentality is my strength but sometimes it’s my weakness and I didn’t really come in with the right frame of mind to play my best and support Theo.

“To be honest, we’ve had an amazing couple of years playing together – we’ve achieved a lot and got to a European final and won the Elite in America last year. We’re capable of a lot more and that’s down to me being more positive and encouraging and a better team player. I think I let the team down today, but I know I’ll be back in the Elite with a better attitude, and I can only learn from this disappointment.

“I’ll reflect on it tonight and think about how I can be a better player and the best teammate that I can be.”

“Getting to the semi of a Challenger is a solid performance,” said Bishop, “but if I’m honest through the whole tournament we’ve not played to the level that we can. I think when we do bring that level out – hopefully in the Elite next week – we’re going to cause a lot more issues for a lot more teams.

“Semi-final is a strong start but at best we were at 50% and we can do a lot more going forward. It’s nice having another tournament to get straight back into it because there are massive areas as a team we can improve on and in the next few days when we play again, I think you’ll see a much stronger team.”

Women’s class 14

Playing in their first tournament together since the European Championships in 2023 Fliss Pickard & Grace Williams fought back from 2-1 down to beat Kim Seongok & Yang Bok Soon from Korea Republic 11-9 in the deciding set. They lost a tight first set to Katarzyna Marszal & Magdalena Sutkowska Pawlasek 13-11 and having levelled at 1-1 they lost the third 11-6 and saved four match points in the fourth before the Polish pair clinched it 15-13 to win 3-1. 

Pickard & Williams led Wang Rui & Jiang Shan 2-0 in their final group match, but the Chinese pair came back to level at 2-2 and force a deciding set. The GB pair led 8-3 but Wang & Jiang won seven consecutive points to lead 10-8 before Pickard & Williams saved two match points and clinched the set 12-10 and the match 3-2.

That sent them through to the quarter-finals and at 1-0, 7-1 they appeared to be in control against Lethicia Lacerda & Aline Meneses Ferreira, but momentum can change so quickly in table tennis, especially in doubles, and the Para Pan American Championships bronze medallists from Brazil took the second set 11-9 and went on to win 3-1.

Men’s class 18

Aaron McKibbin & Joshua Stacey were 3-0 winners against Lucas Didier & Julien Cigolotti from France and were then involved in a great battle with Paralympic bronze medallists Zhao Shuai & Lian Hao. The GB pair produced some great play to lead 2-1 and after the Para Asian champions from China had levelled at 2-2, McKibbin & Stacey fought their way back from 8-4 down to 8-8 in the deciding set before Zhao & Lian took it 13-11 on their third match point to win 3-2.

McKibbin & Stacey progressed to the knockout stages as group runners-up and although they started well in their round of 16 match, taking the first set against Chalermpong Punpoo & Bunpot Sillapakong 11-6, mistakes started to creep in as the 2023 Asian Para Games bronze medallists from Thailand changed tactics and came back strongly to win 3-1. 

Ryan Henry & Shae Thakker won the first set against Ho Ka Sing & Wong Chi Yin 12-10 and after the Para Asian Championships bronze medallists from Hong Kong China had levelled at 1-1, the GB pair led 10-8 in the third, but Ho and Wong edged it 12-10 and went on to win 3-1. Henry & Thakker did not progress after a 3-0 loss to Chalermpong Punpoo & Bunpot Sillapakong.

Men’s class 4

Tom Matthews & Chris Ryan had a tough first match against Jan Riapos & Peter Lovas and were beaten 3-0 by the Paralympic and European champions from Slovakia. They did not progress after a 3-0 loss to Francois Geuljans & Alan Papirer from France.

Men’s class 8

After a walkover in their first match following the withdrawal of Krszysztof Zylka & Maciej Nalepka from Poland, Jack Hunter-Spivey & Neil Robinson started well against Colin Judge & Kevin O’Callaghan, taking the first set 11-8. However, they lost the second 11-9 and the third 12-10 before the Irish pair secured a 3-1 win, 11-7 in the fourth. Hunter-Spivey & Robinson did not progress after a 3-0 loss to Yuttajak Glinbanchuen & Wanchai Chaiwut, the 2023 Asian Para Games gold medallists from Thailand.

Women’s class 20

Lowri Hurd & Jeanelly Scarlett Gongora Magana, the class 10 world No 15 from Mexico were beaten 3-1 by Zsofia Arloy & Alexa Szvitacs from Hungary and did not progress after a 3-0 loss to Bruna Alexandre from Brazil & Yang Qian from Australia.

Mixed class 7

Playing in only their second tournament together Neil Robinson & Megan Shackleton made a great start against Florian Merrien & Flora Vautier, taking the first set 11-8 before the Paralympic and European bronze medallists from France took a close second set 11-9 to level and went on to win 3-1. After a slow start in their second group match Robinson & Shackleton combined well to beat Vasyl Petruniv from Ukraine & Lisa Di Toro from Australia 3-1 and progress through to the round of 16 where they faced Shi Yanping & Huang Zhirui from China. The first two sets were very close, and Robinson & Shackleton took the second to level at 1-1 before the Chinese pair went on to win 3-1.