Germany did make amends with a 3-2 victory over The Netherlands to take women's gold earlier in the day, but will be left ruing a combination of bad luck, archaic rules and below-par performances.

With a squad boasting Europe's top two ranked players in Olympic singles bronze medallist Dimitrij Ovtcharov and six-time continental singles champion Timo Boll, they were expected to romp to the title in their best-of-five match format, in which four singles and one doubles clashes take place.

But disaster struck yesterday as Boll was laid down by severe food poisoning, leaving him unable to rise from his bed. 

Because no reserve players were permitted, this meant Germany automatically forfeited two of the five rubbers and while they still managed to win their quarter-final against Sweden, France proved too much to handle at the last four stage, with Emmanuel Lebesson overcoming Ovtcharov in the decisive dual. 

Portugal, who edged Austria in their semi-final, were still favourites heading into the clash, with a team headed by in-form duo Marcos Freitas and Tiago Apolonia, ranked 10th and 21st in the world.

Despite the best efforts of a visibly charged French team the duo's class duly told, with Apolonia too clinical for Adrien Mattenet in pushing his opponent back from the table repeatedly in a 3-0 win, before Freitas withstood the efforts of the impressive Simon Gauzy.

Gauzy, unlike Mattenet, got his tactics spot on, pressurising his highly fancied opponent by staying close to the table and attacking early in the rally, only for Freitas' class to show in the decider.

Gauzy swiftly recovered by partnering Lebessson to a five-set win in the doubles after recovering their poise after squandering a 2-0 lead.

With Geraldo ranked just 96th in the world, 46th ranked Mattenet must have fancied his chances of squaring the final, only for the Portuguese youngster to deliver a masterclass.

He refused to let his opponent into the game by dictating play brilliantly, raising his level whenever it was required to eventually prevail 11-4, 12-10, 11-9.

The trio were presented with gold by German Olympic Sports Confederation secretary general Michael Vesper, who must have been hoping for a different result on an evening where Austria duly dispatched a Boll-less Germany 3-0 to take bronze.

Success for the nation earlier in the day came in a women's final that proved very different, less about lightening forehand exchanges and more with patient and methodical rallies between one attacking and one defensive player.

Both the Germans and Dutch boasted two players of Chinese origin in their teams, and as those players clashed it was one apiece as Li Jiao beat world number 10 ranked German number one Han Ying before Shan Xiaona levelled things up by overcoming Li Jie.

The doubles proved key as Shan and Patrissa Solja edged home in the fifth game before Li Jie made amends for her earlier loss by overcoming Solja. 

But, with the other Dutch player, Britt Eerland, ranked down at 89th, it was always going to be tough for her to overcome Han Ying, and she was duly swatted away 11-2, 11-1, 11-6 as the European number one proved impossible to break down.

It was the high-point of a tupsy-turvy day of top level sport here for the Germans, with them and the Dutch joined on the podium by bronze medal winners Czech Republic, who overcame Ukraine 3-1 in the first tie of the day.

Related stories
June 2015: Inaugural European Games opens in Baku with spectacular Opening Ceremony