Nouchka Fontijn has claimed that Savannah Marshall 'deserves a medal' at the European Games, despite being knocked out of the women's middleweight event at the first hurdle.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist was handed a difficult draw when pitted against the current European champion, and she failed to match her Dutch opponent by losing all three rounds this afternoon.
Marshall admitted after the round-of-16 bout that she was left feeling "gutted", but Fontijn has told the Team GB athlete to keep her head held up.
"I'm not sure whether it's my best ever win. I'm not so good at analysing my fights straight after the finish," she told reporters. "We have a history of boxing against each other.
"Before today it was 1-1. I always felt I could beat her. It's not easy because there is no seeding here. We probably both deserve a medal. There's only one of us can go on."
Fontijn will now face the Ukraine's Kateryna Shambir in the quarter-finals.
