Alexis Lebrun, like his brother Félix, was eliminated from the start in singles on Thursday during the WTT Finals in Fukuoka, the last competition of the year which brings together the best table tennis players of the season, beaten 3 sets to 1 by the Chinese Lin Shidong, World No.2.
The two brothers will have the opportunity to console themselves for these individual setbacks by playing together in the doubles semi-finals on Friday, against another French pair Florian Bourrassaud and Esteban Dorr.
For this last outing of the year on the international circuit, Alexis Lebrun, 21 years old and world No.14, could not do better than his younger brother, released Wednesday by the German Benedikt Duda (3-2).
The elder Lebrun only held out for one set, won 11-8, before losing the next three (11-7, 11-8 and 11-4) to Lin Shidong, winner of five of the last six tournaments on the circuit and big favorite in Japan.
“Alexis played his match with the weapons of the moment, he is in physical difficulty at the end of the season. He lacks rhythm »Nathanaël Molin, his trainer, told AFP.
At the start of the afternoon in Japan, the two Lebrun brothers had reached the last four in doubles by beating 3 sets to 1 (6-11, 11-8, 15-13, 14-12) the Japanese pair Tomokazu Harimoto and Sora Matsushima.
In the evening, they were joined by Bourrassaud and Dorr, their training partners in Montpellier, who had eliminated 3 sets to 2 (9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-6) Hong Kongers Ho Kwan Kit and Lam Siu Hang.
“Esteban and Florian were immense. It’s magnificent what they did”rejoiced Molin, who accompanies the quartet to the edge of the pitch.
This 100% French confrontation ensures the presence of a French duo in the final, a sign of the good health of the blue ping.
“Make your back round”
Alexis Lebrun (left) and his brother Felix during their doubles match against the Japanese Harimoto-Matsushima, during the WTT finals Thursday in Fukuoka. / STR / JIJI Press/AFP
Facing the Japanese duo, pushed by the local public, the Lebrun brothers started timidly, conceding the first round to their opponents, including the fiery and demonstrative Harimoto.
The European champions finally escaped, despite a big scare in the fourth set, when they let five match points slip away (10-5 then 10-10). It was finally on the 6th opportunity that they won (14-12).
“This double is a good satisfaction. It’s not easy to get into this kind of game. Félix had to get back in the saddle and it’s never easy after a defeat (in singles on Wednesday) and Alexis was making his debut.rejoiced Molin.
“I really liked their reaction as the match progressed. The real strong point today was their ability to keep their backs when the others were playing really well, in the first set. We found two or three tactical solutions which made them doubt a little”he added.
For French table tennis in general, and the Lebrun brothers in particular, the year was rich, beyond the Paris Olympics and the bronze medals gleaned by Félix Lebrun in singles and by the French team (Simon Gauzy, Félix and Alexis Lebrun).
The post-Olympic sequence was just as successful, with two European champion titles — in singles for Alexis Lebrun and in doubles — before the cadet’s victory at the end of October at the WTT Champions in Montpellier, where they also play as a club. .