World Para Table Tennis Championships: Ross Wilson claims gold in Slovenia

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Wilson wins 'absolutely amazing match' for world title

Great Britain's Ross Wilson saved three match points to win a maiden World Para Table Tennis title in Celje, Slovenia.

The Commonwealth champion claimed the men's Class 8 crown with a 12-10 7-11 10-12 14-12 12-10 win over double Paralympic champion Zhao Shuai.

"It's a crazy, crazy feeling. It means the world," the 23-year-old told BBC Sport.

Earlier in the day, Fliss Pickard and Tom Matthews both lost their semi-finals, but still won bronze.

Following London 2012, Wilson was unsure if he would even be able to play again after a succession of injuries that led him to missing the 2014 title.

Prior to Saturday's win, he had only beaten Zhao once. He saved two match points in the fourth set and another in the fifth before sealing the title at his first attempt.

"He's such a good player," he said. "I didn't expect it at all. I stuck to my game plan throughout and there were so many ups and downs.

"I've been in London and that was intense but that's the World Championship final, against a player I lost to in London. To beat him in the final is amazing."

World Number 10 Pickard, 24, who exceeded expectations to reach the last four, was beaten 3-1 by Russia's world number two Raisa Chebanika.

"I'm only at 5% of what I want to be and where I am capable of being," said Pickard.

"I'm not half the player I want to be yet. Bring it on."

Matthews, who broke his neck in a mountain bike accident when he was 16, also had to make do with bronze after losing 3-1 to top-ranked Young Dae Joo.

Whilst Great Britain's medal haul sits within their target set by UK Sport, Paralympic champions Will Bayley and Rob Davies underperformed.

Bayley, defending his title from Beijing in 2014, lost a tight five set quarter-final against eventual winner Jordi Morales, while Davies went out in the last 16, compounding a disappointing season for the Welshman.

Nonetheless, GB Para Table Tennis performance director Gorazd Vecko believes the new medallists give plenty of cause for optimism.

"We are really happy because we have made the target," he told BBC Sport. "Obviously we would have liked to have more.

"We have three new medallists, that's a huge success. To have Rob and Will is a benefit because we know they will come back stronger than ever and will come back at the next competition."

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