TODMORDEN teenager Megan Shackleton put up a promising performance against the world’s top players at the Bayreuth Open in Germany, taking a bronze medal in the women’s class 4 team event.

In the round-robin event Shackleton and her experienced team partner Sue Gilroy were disappointed to lose 3-1 to Germany but they played with great credit in their final match against World champions China. After Shackleton had taken a set off double Paralympic champion Ying Zhou, Gilroy led World champion Miao Zhang 2-0 but the Chinese player came back to win the next three for a 3-2 win.

The GB pair had chances in the first two sets of the doubles but the combined experience of Zhou and Zhang clinched the match 3-0 and the tie 3-0. So China took the gold but Gilroy and Shackleton picked up the bronze after earlier wins against South Africa and India.

“I feel like I’ve learnt a lot from the match against China,” said Shackleton, “and I didn’t let my nerves get the better of me.

“I upped my game to compete with them and I feel I did put them under pressure and hopefully soon I’ll be winning those games.

“I think me and Sue are really strong in doubles because we always work together and we don’t give up so I think we will start winning our doubles soon.”