French table tennis has definitely been in Olympic form for a little over a month and a half. After the final of the Tricolores (beaten by China) during the World Team Championships in South Korea in February, then the final of Félix Lebrun two weeks ago at the Smash in Singapore, the latter and his compatriot Simon Gauzy are still in dazzling form this week at the WTT Champions tournament in Incheon (South Korea). This morning, they qualified for the quarter-finals of the event.
Felix Lebrun swept away the German Dimitrij Ovtcharov 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-5), former world number one (and currently 11th), in just… 16 minutes. In the next round, the 5th in the world will face the Brazilian Hugo Calderano, who defeated his brother Alexis (3-1). “I faced him twice. The last time, it was in February I think (in January at the WTT Star in Goa with a victory for Felix, 4-2, Editor's note), it was a tough match, remembers the younger Lebrun at the microphone of RMC. He just beat Alexis, we'll see with my trainer and we'll fight. »
Simon Gauzy also qualified for the quarter-finals by winning quickly 3-0 (12-10, 11-7, 11-7) against the South Korean Lee Sang-Su (29th in the world). At this stage of the tournament, the Frenchman, 30th in the world, will have a tough challenge against the 3rd player in the world, the Chinese, Jingkun Liang. “I never won against him, but I was close once. It will be a difficult match, confides Gauzy. I'm going to have fun. I didn't sleep very well last night so I'm going to try to get a better night's sleep. »