Chesterfield's Liam Pitchford feels he is getting closer to his best

Liam Pitchford believes he is heading in the right direction.

There was little to choose between the two as they took turns to lead, but it was seventh seed Ovtcharov who finally got over the line 4-3.

Pitchford, seeded 10th, said: "I never really felt 100 per cent comfortable in my game but I had chances – 10-8 up in the first set and then at 2-2, 10-9 when he got the thinnest edge possible – if I’d won that set, the momentum would have been with me.

"It’s disappointing. I felt on another day I could have taken those chances. I’m probably lacking a bit of match practice but I can’t complain. He played well and put me under pressure and I haven’t played against that kind of level for a long time."

Pitchford now begins preparations for the ITTF Finals which start in Zhengzhou on Thursday.

And the Chesterfield man feels he is going in the right direction to find the level which saw him get to the Qatar Open final in March.

He said: "I’m not too down on myself and I’m feeling in a good place and doing the right work. Next week is another opportunity.

"I didn’t play badly today, it was just a little bit of experience here and there.

"I feel like I’m on the way to playing like I did in Qatar. It’s about finding small things and hopefully I can do that before next week. I want to challenge the best in the world and I proved that I’m thereabouts."