Team England thwarted in Serbia

Drinkhall gave his higher-ranked opponent a scare

English players failed to make the latter stages of the European Table Tennis Championships in Belgrade.

Paul Drinkhall led experienced Belgian Jean Mi Saive 2-0 before losing 4-2 in the men's singles second round. Andrew Rushton lost to Dutchman Trinko Keen.

Drinkhall and Darius Knight suffered a 3-0 loss in the doubles to Pole Lucian Blaszczyk and Croatia's Ruiwu Tan.

Joanna Parker and Kelly Sibley lost 3-0 to Hungarian women's doubles fifth seeds Georgina Pota and Krisztina Toth.

Knight and Sibley also made the third round of the mixed doubles before losing to Romanian's Andre Filimon and Elizabeta Samara

In the women's singles third round, Joanna Parker but up a brave fight against Russia's Irina Palina but eventually succumbed to a 4-0 defeat.

Naomi Owen of Wales had a bye into the second round of the women's singles where she lost to Spaniard Galia Dvorak.

Scotland's Gavin Rumgay made the men's singles second round before losing to Poland's Daniel Gorak.