RIO Paralympic table tennis champion Rob Davies returned to the big stage in Paris to strike sterling silver.

The Abergavenny-born player made a brave bid to regain his Paralympic men’s class 1 singles title at the SPA4 Paris Arena in Friday’s final, but was denied by Cuba's Yunier Fernandez.

The first set was very tight, with Rob saving two set points at 10-8 down and then having a couple of set points of his own before Fernandez clinched it 14-12.

Free for editorial use image, please credit: imagecomms ParalympicsGB Table Tennis athlete, Robert Davies aged 40, from Brecon, Wales, wins silver in the Singles MS1 - Men event, at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. ParalympicsGB is the name for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Paralympic Team that competes at the summer and winter Paralympic Games. The Team is selected and managed by the British Paralympic Association, in conjunction with the national governing bodies
Rob Davies took silver at the Paris Paralympics (ParalympicsGB/imagecomms)

From that point, the Cuban grew in confidence and used his powerful forehand to take the second set 11-7, followed by the third set 11-4 to secure the gold 3-0.

“I’m an athlete and you always want to win,” said Rob, who took up table tennis after a life-changing rugby accident playing for Brecon in his early 20s.

“But I’m really proud just to get there. It’s been such an awesome Games experience, so to get to the final makes it that bit more special.

"I didn’t get the result I wanted but in a few weeks’ time I’m sure I’ll be really happy.

“I think if I had won that first set it would have had a bit of a bearing on the match, just because it would have put a bit more pressure on Fernandez, but it wasn’t to be. “

The former rugby player was also delighted to receive good luck messages from Welsh rugby legends Shane Williams and Alun Wyn Jones.