James Stout fell agonisingly short of claiming national success in America after suffering defeat in the final of the US Squash’s National Men’s Open Doubles championships in Rye, New York, on Sunday.

In a closely-fought encounter, Stout and Eric Bedell of the Racquet and Tennis Club, Manhattan, were eventually beaten by clubmates Mike Ferreira and Whitten Morris, in straight sets, 12-15, 12-15, 11-15.

All three games followed a similar pattern. The pairs would be closely matched until the score was about 8-7, when Ferreira and Morris would then string together a run of points and once the score was around 13-10, Stout and Bedell would regain service.

At this stage of the game the initiative was with their opponents and Stout and Bedell would win a couple more points before Ferreira and Morris would go on to win the game.

The previous Sunday, Stout and his regular partner, Greg McArthur, were runners-up to Commonwealth gold medal-winner, Australia’s Zac Alexander, and Chris Callis of the United States, losing 3-1, in the $40,000 2019 David C. Johnson, Jr Memorial tournament at the Heights Casino Club in Brooklyn, New York.

On the way to the final, Alexander and Callis defeated the top seeds Yvain Badan and Bernado Samper 3-1 in the semi-finals. Second seeds Stout and McArthur similarly dropped a game in their victory over John Russell and Greg Park in the second semi-final.

A victory in the final would have given Stout top place in the Squash Doubles Association March rankings.

That position goes to Callis instead, while Stout is in a career-high second place and McArthur is third.