Will Bayley, speaking to Channel 4 about his final defeat: “I am devastated obviously but I trained really hard, I feel my best I’ve ever felt in my career but he’s a top player obviously, he trains a lot in China and they’re a legendary team so I was really proud of myself that I put up my best performance really.
“I think I was good enough today to win the gold medal, I did feel like the better player today, whereas I lost to him in Tokyo and I felt he was the better player. But today I felt on top of him, you get a feel in sport, I felt really good, I felt like I was going to go and win that fifth set but some things worked against me and it’s sport.”
On being deducted a point in the deciding game: “I sometimes kick the ball to the barrier and lean on the barrier and then pick up the ball, especially when I’m tired and with my disability as well, it’s quite hard to just pick up the ball in the middle of the court.
“I kicked the ball to the barrier to pick up the ball and then he took a point away from me and in such a crucial stage, I was 3-1 up in the fifth. I just felt it was unnecessary and unfair, that’s how I felt, I told him that, but it’s sport though and I have to find a way of dealing with it.”
On the intensity: “It took a lot but I felt calm, I still felt like I could do it, I still felt composed, just some of the rallies at the end just didn’t go my way.
“Maybe I made a few tactical decisions wrong but also I have to give credit to my opponent, he played well as well, we’re both good players, it’s sport, anything can happen when you have the two best players in the world playing together.
“I’m pleased for him, he’s a top player, but I’m gutted for me because I believed I deserved this one.”
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