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Team GB's Paul Drinkhall: "Lack of experience" to blame for semi-final defeat

Team GB table tennis star Paul Drinkhall remains confident that he can overcome his semi-final defeat at the hands of Dimitrij Ovtcharov to pick up European Games bronze.

Paul Drinkhall has put his European Games semi-final exit at the hands of Dimitrij Ovtcharov down to a "lack of experience".

The Team GB competitor missed out on a chance of progressing through to the gold-medal final in Baku, after letting a one-game lead slip to eventually fall 4-2 to the European number one.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on at least a silver, Drinkhall must now pick himself up prior to this afternoon's bronze-medal match against Lei Kou.

"Two games to one up and 4-1 in the fourth was my chance to go on and win but he's a great player," he told reporters when asked about today's Ovtcharov defeat.

"There's possibly some lack of experience on my side and his experience of how to handle those moments. I made a couple of easy mistakes and he ran away with it, and it allowed him to settle.

"Getting a medal would be great for the confidence going into Rio 2016. It doesn't mean exactly that all the work has paid off, but it puts a smile on your face. Hopefully I'll still get one."

Drinkhall won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the mixed doubles event.

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Paul Drinkhall of Great Britain competes during Men's Team Table Tennis first round match against team of Portugal on Day 7 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 3, 2012
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