Two months after a dream summer for French table tennis, the Blues, led by their star brothers, Alexis and Félix Lebrun, can hope for a golden autumn in Linz (Austria), at the European Championships. The competition begins on Tuesday with qualifying before the main draw debuts on Thursday. In the land of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who also composed the Symphony No. 36 known as the “Linz Symphony” four centuries ago, will the French still have an appointment with the little music of success?
Two years ago, during the individual European Championships in Munich, the Lebrun brothers, in doubles, won bronze, at only 15 and 18 years old. But things have changed a lot since then. At the Paris Olympics, the bronze medal obtained in singles by the cadet and that in teams won with Simon Gauzy made the two Montpellier residents one of the hits of the summer. “They have gone beyond the scope of their sport, it reminds me a little of Laure Manaudou (crowned at only 17 years old Olympic champion in Athens) in 2004“, assures the sports director of the French Federation Christophe Legoût.
As the uncle of the siblings, the former world No.14 is witness to a enthusiasm which has not waned, like the French club championship meeting which welcomed 1,200 spectators and a host of of journalists in Castelnau-le-Lez (Hérault) last week. “We had a bit of a busy month with the medal to Olympic Games, we are going to start again with a new year and Olympiad to try to move forward, with the same hunger“, commented Félix Lebrun on the sidelines of Nîmes-Montpellier’s victory against Jura-Morez (3-2).
An individual title, or even a doubles title in Linz at the end of the competition on Sunday, would undoubtedly be a good start to satisfy the appetite of the brothers, who continued after the Games with the Grand Smash of China without managing to win. . “We have to see how they will react to a new competition by wearing the French team jersey.continues Christophe Legoût. Will they surprise us again by showing that everything is falling on them like at the Games when the pressure was enormous? I tend to say yes“.
Jia Nan Yuan and Prithika Pavade, headliners among the Blues
Félix Lebrun, as European No.1 (and 7th in the world), is aiming for the title, won last time by a Frenchman in 2016 (Emmanuel Lebesson), when Alexis or even Simon Gauzy – who will also compete in the mixed doubles with Prithika Pavade – can seriously consider the podium. But it will not be without counting on other headliners, including the Swede Truls Moregard, recognizable by his heptagon-shaped racket, who had a fantastic Games by eliminating world No.1 Wang Chuqin in the 16th before to glean money in singles and teams.
Germany will also have serious contenders with the presence of the reigning European champion Dang Qiu (13th in the world), who was eliminated prematurely at the Olympics, while the vice-European champion, the Slovenian Darko Jorgic (15th) , is also present. In the women’s draw, the TipsArena in Linz and its 3,200 seats will undoubtedly be won over to the cause of its European champion (in singles and doubles), the Austrian Sofia Polcanova (world No. 14). And, on the French side, Jia Nan Yuan (18th) and Prithika Pavade (21st) will act as serious outsiders. Jia Nan Yuan will also be lined up in doubles with Charlotte Lutz, 19 years old.
