Guillaume Marion, Media365, published on Wednesday November 20, 2024 at 2:45 p.m.
This Wednesday, in Fukuoka (Japan), Félix Lebrun was beaten as soon as he entered the competition during the WTT Finals by the German Benedikt Duda, who won in five sets (9-11, 11-6, 14-12 , 6-11, 11-9).
Félix Lebrun will not go any further. Indeed, like last year, the young Frenchman (18 years old) was released this Wednesday as soon as he entered the competition during the WTT Finalsthe table tennis equivalent of the ATP Masters for tennis players. If he had been powerless in 2023 against the Chinese Wang Chuqin (defeat in four sets), the native of Montpellier may this time have regrets after this elimination in the 8th final. Because, in Fukuoka (Japan), the double bronze medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games once again came up against Benedikt Duda, winner in five sets (9-11, 11-6, 14-12, 6-11, 11-9) and therefore qualified for the quarter-finals of the tournament. Already eliminated by the German in the quarter-finals during the European Championships last October, Félix Lebrun (4th in the world) failed to take his revenge at the end of a contested and long-undecided match.
F. Lebrun will try to bounce back with his brother in doubles
“I think I played even better than last time,” subsequently admitted the 18th in the world, who can play in these WTT Finals because the Chinese Fan Zhendong and Ma Long were forced to withdraw, in comments repeated by The Team. In the next round, Duda will now challenge Slovenian Darko Jorgic (16th in the world). Defeated, the young Montpellier native will not end the year on the podium in the world rankings. After this disillusionment in singles, Félix Lebrun will now try to do better in doubles with his brother Alexis this Thursday during the quarter-finalsagainst the Japanese pair Tomokazu Harimoto and Sora Matsushima (from 6:10 a.m. in France). After that, Alexis Lebrun will begin his singles tournament against the Chinese Lin Shidong (from 12:20 p.m.). In the meantime, the other French pair, made up of Esteban Dorr and Florian Bourrassaud, will have faced the Hong Kongers Lam Siu Hang and Ho Kwan Kit (from 11:45 a.m.).
