Defending champion Cross threw away a 5-2 lead in a nail-biting deciding set to lose 6-4, 3-6, 5-7 to Karl Lindberg of Gotland – the exact opposite of what happened ten years ago when Cross captured his first title.Then it was Cross who was trailing when he won five games on the trot to win gold.Cross was disappointed with himself for not reacting when Lindberg started to turn the match around.
‘I was 5-2 up in the final set and serving for match point but did not improve my game when Karl reacted,’ he said.’He knew he had nothing to lose and I relaxed at 5-2 when he raised his game and I didn’t go with him.
In the end he deserved to win.’There was some consolation for Cross in the men’s doubles, as he and Pankhurst struck gold against Lindberg and Alec Arho-Havrén, 7-6, 6-2.It was the second gold for the pair – Pankhurst in his first Island Games – after they won team gold with Pieter Theron and Matt Harris earlier in the week.
