DAVID McBeath had to settle for silver and bronze at the PG Mutual National Championships.

The Rownhams ace, a Commonwealth Games team bronze medallist last year, was thwarted by his England team-mates in both the Men’s Singles and Doubles.

In the singles, McBeath got through the earlier round to set up a semi-final against England No 1 and world No 17 Liam Pitchford.

He led the first set 10-6 but was unable to convert his chance and Pitchford made him pay as he won 4-0 (12-10, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6) – before winning the title for a fifth time.

McBeath, 26, said: “I’ve been fairly regular in the semi-finals but it’s just about taking that next step. I’ve improved, but Liam’s improved a lot too and I think that was the decisive factor. I had 10-6 in the first set and it’s not the end of the world but still pretty crucial in putting pressure on him. He’s on top form this year and I found it very difficult to get any pressure on him after that.”

In the Men’s Doubles, McBeath & Sam Walker reached the final against Commonwealth Games champions Pitchford & Paul Drinkhall.

Again, the first set was tight up to 8-8 but the top seeds pulled away to win 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-5).

McBeath said: “Me and Sam have been to the last 16 of the World Championships as a pair, but they are the reigning Commonwealth champions for a reason and they are probably one of the best pairs in the world. I don’t think we did much wrong.”

In the Mixed Doubles, McBeath & Emma Vickers were seeded second but were upset in the semi-finals by Alim Hirji & Emily Bolton, who won a tight match 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 13-11).