Winning bet for Alexis Lebrun. By winning in three short sets (11-6, 11-7, 11-2) against the Korean Sang Su Lee (29th) on Saturday in the semi-finals of the Contender in Taiyuan (China), the French table tennis player will be able to try to to win his very first WTT singles title. In the final on Sunday, the elder Lebrun will try to overthrow the Chinese Liang Jingkun (4th).
The only Frenchman in this tough Tournament, where it was necessary to seek a great performance and results against big names to gain points in the battle he is waging at a distance with Simon Gauzy (29 years old, 25th) for the last singles ticket for the Games, Alexis Lebrun hit hard.
An impressive forehand diagonal
On the field first, where after knocking down the Chinese Lin Shidong, world No. 11, in the 8th in four solid sets, the Habs dismissed the Taiwanese Cheng-Jui Kao (32nd) in just 22 minutes. Again against the Korean this Saturday who was entitled to the best of a very offensive Alexis Lebrun, particularly skillful in a forehand diagonal which allowed him to set a very strong entry rhythm. The Frenchman got into his opponent’s skull with a first big counter, then insisted on it successfully by taking the lead. Enough to bring the advantage to +3, then +4 and pocket the first round (11-6) against Sang Su Lee forced to rely on his backhand.
If it allowed him to create an illusion until the middle of the second round, the intensity and regularity of the Frenchman ended up making him explode (11-7). The French table tennis player disgusted him a little more from the start of the third set, when the Korean brought back three offensives from Lebrun, before seeing his defense once again pierced. And Lebrun, without giving up, concluded with a significant 11-2.
In the world rankings – even if the FFTT does not consider it a determining criterion in the race for Olympic qualification – the eldest Lebrun, thanks to his accession to the final, will total at least 843 points during the next score on Tuesday ( 963 if he wins), when Simon Gauzy will have 875. Both will be able to shine two final times, at the Champions (the equivalent of the Masters 1000 in tennis) in Chongqing, in China (May 30- June 2), big provider of points, then in Ljubljana to tip the scales in their favor.
