Jack Shephard hailed “among the finest matches of my life” after coming via a thriller towards Vitor Tavares on a day which noticed Krysten Coombs, Rachel Choong and Dan Bethell additionally declare important group stage victories.
Shephard was 4 factors behind at one stage throughout the opening sport however roared again to assert it 21-19, just for Tavares to stage issues by profitable the second 21-15.
The Brazilian appeared to be heading for victory when he constructed up one other four-point lead within the decider however the 27-year-old from Chesterfield as soon as once more confirmed his preventing spirit as historical past repeated itself.
Shephard finally got here out on prime 21-19 to seal victory in an epic 56-minute encounter and rise up and working in Group C of the SH6 males’s singles following Thursday’s defeat towards Lin Naili.
“I’m ecstatic, I simply performed among the finest matches of my life,” he mentioned.
“It wasn’t good but it surely was sufficient to recover from the road. There are issues we are able to transfer ahead with but it surely places me in a superb place to get via the group, so I’m very proud of that.
“There are such a lot of household and mates on the market and I can’t thank them sufficient for coming, it actually helped me over the road. It was incredible having a crowd like that to bounce off.”
Elsewhere in the identical class, Coombs additionally bounced again from a gap day defeat as he beat Indonesia’s Subhan Subhan.
The 33-year-old Devonian gained the opening sport 21-15 earlier than being pegged again within the second as Subhan claimed it 21-17.
Coombs would have been dealing with a bunch stage exit had he misplaced the decider however summoned all his dedication to win it 21-18 and arrange a crunch conflict with India’s Sivarajan Solaimalai on Saturday.
Coombs means enterprise 😎
What a win 👏 taking it 21-18 within the third set 🥵🔥
➡️ Wanting sturdy for tomorrow’s final group match! 🇬🇧#LetsGo #ParalympicsGB pic.twitter.com/Ns5KOCB4nR
— Badminton England (@BadmintonEnglnd) August 30, 2024
“We had a fantastic battle on the market and he put up a fantastic battle, which is what you need on the Paralympics,” he mentioned.
“These are the perfect athletes on the earth so that you’re not going to return right here and have little straightforward walkovers.
“I believed in myself, which is the large one, then I can win. That has given my confidence an enormous enhance going into tomorrow and the remainder of the match. I could be one of many older gamers right here however I’m nonetheless preventing the youthful ones.”
Choong began her SH6 ladies’s singles marketing campaign with a victory over Peru’s Rubi Milagros Fernandez Vargas in three video games.
The 30-year-old from Liverpool, taking part in her first singles match at a Paralympics, misplaced the primary sport 21-14 however hit again to win 21-19, 21-17.
“It wasn’t my prettiest badminton however I’m actually happy to be on the profitable finish of it,” she mentioned.
“I can see why folks dedicate 4 years of their lives to get right here. For badminton, as Europeans, we aren’t used to taking part in in entrance of 1000’s of individuals.
“I’m so happy to exit right here, signify ParalympicsGB and check out my hardest to place in good performances. I need to come away with no regrets.”
Day two began with one other comfy win for Bethell, who secured his progress into the SL3 males’s singles knockout phases with a 21-9, 21-4 win towards Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara – with ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp once more in attendance.
Victory no. 2 👏🔥🏸
📸 @badmintonphoto pic.twitter.com/MHQbbfIuaU
— Badminton England (@BadmintonEnglnd) August 30, 2024
