New Zealander Shannon McIlroy’s action-packed shot at the Commonwealth Games men’s singles gold medal was derailed today.
McIlroy, 31, lost to Englishman Robert Paxton 21-16 after a tense, fluctuating quarter-final match.
McIlroy led 4-0 and 9-8, then trailed 9-16. He fought back to 16-17, but couldn’t sew up the match.
It was the second meeting between Paxton and McIlroy in the event. In pool play the Englishman won 21-18. Yet McIlroy was clearly in good form – he won two matches 21-0 in pool play, which is unheard of.
McIlroy fought hard today, but couldn’t win the ends that really counted.
“He didn’t give me too much breathing room,” McIlroy said. “I started well, and kept the pressure on him for about 40 minutes, but he played well. I was a little off where I needed to be, a bit scratchy.”
The New Zealander, who finished fourth in the singles at Glasgow in 2014, said it seemed to be a trend for him, getting close but not winning a medal at Commonwealth Games. (As a consolation, however, he did win the world singles title in 2016.)