Bethany Brookes and Catherine Fletcher had to settle for fourth place in the women's doubles after being edged out in their bronze medal match on the penultimate day of tennis competition at the 22nd Summer Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria.
After taking the first set off German top seeds Heike Albrecht and Verena Fleckenstein in the women's doubles final at last year's European Championships the unseeded British pairing were unable to make a similarly impressive start in Sofia, but led 5-4 in the second set. However, their bid to take Albrecht and Fleckenstein to another third set ultimately came to an end and Britain's European silver medallists ended their Deaflympics quest with a narrow 6-3, 7-5 defeat after what has still been an impressive Deaflympics debut for 19-year-old Brookes.
Catherine Fletcher has two more medal matches to come, as she takes on Sophie Bernard of France on Saturday morning in the women's singles bronze medal match before partnering husband Lewis Fletcher later in the day in the mixed doubles bronze medal play-off.
"It's obviously disappointing to come away without a medal after giving it our all, especially with this being Beth's first Deaflympics. We really wanted that bronze and we're gutted," said Catherine Fletcher. "Beth has played so well and has many more Deaflympics to come. I now have to focus on preparing for tomorrow. It's been a long week of tennis and Lewis and I will go out there fighting for every point."
Catherine will be aiming to win her first Deaflympic singles medal after the five-time Deaflympian won women's doubles and mixed doubles medals at the last two Deaflympics. Meanwhile, Lewis, who is competing in his second Deaflympics, will be aiming for his first medal when the reigning National mixed doubles champions and fourth seeds take on French second seeds Bernard and Mikael Laurent in their mixed doubles bronze medal play-off.
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