India's national squash champion Ritwik Bhattacharya went down fighting to world No. 4 James Willstrop of England 11-13, 11-13, 5-11 in a tight first round, in the main draw of the Liverpool 08 Squash Open on Wednesday night.

The Indian, who has moved up to a career best 49 in the latest PSA rankings, had his chances in the first two games in which he ran the Briton close.

"It was a tough match. I fought hard and went in there regardless of reputations. It was a great experience," said Bhattacharya from Liverpool.

After the Liverpool 08 Open, Bhattacharya will next feature in the Atlanta Open, a one-star competition.