Sam Walker and his Danish partner Tobias Rasmussen have taken out the fifth seeds to storm into the last eight at the European Championships, and Liam Pitchford is into the singles last 16.
The right-hand, left-hand combination of Walker & Rasmussen were always on top against Hungarian pair Nandor Ecseki & Adam Szudi, winning in four straight, taking their second match point to win the fourth – the closest game – 12-10.
They next face third seeds Ruwen Filus & Ricardo Walther of Germany at 9.45am UK time on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals.
But Commonwealth Games gold medallists Pitchford & Drinkhall could not join Walker in the last eight as they were beaten in seven by Russian 13th seeds Kirill Skachkov & Alex Shibaev, who took the last two games after trailing the English pair 3-2.
Tin-Tin Ho was defeated 4-2 in her women’s singles last-32 match against 13th seed Polina Mikhailova of Russia, in a close match which she led 2-1, but in which she lost protracted first and fifth games.
Pitchford was back in action for his last-32 match against Portugal’s Joao Geraldo and won it 4-2 to set up a clash with top seed Tom Boll in the last 16.
Results
Men’s Singles
Round of 32
Liam Pitchford bt Joao Geraldo (POR) 4-2 (11-8, 11-9, 4-11, 4-11, 11-5, 11-9)
Men’s Doubles
Round of 16
Sam Walker & Tobias Rasmussen (DEN) bt Nandor Ecseki & Adam Szudi (HUN) 4-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-6, 12-10)
Kirill Skachkov & Alex Shibaev (RUS) bt Liam Pitchford & Paul Drinkhall 4-3 (11-8, 6-11, 11-8, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7)
Women’s Singles
Round of 32
Polina Mikhailova (RUS) bt Tin-Tin Ho 4-2 (14-12, 6-11, 7-11, 11-4, 15-13, 11-8)