Felix Lebrun claims historic home victory at WTT Montpellier Champions

Montpellier (France):  French sensation Felix Lebrun thrilled home crowds as he secured the men’s singles title at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Montpellier Champions on Sunday, defeating Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto with an impressive 4-1 victory.

This triumph marks Lebrun’s first title in a WTT Champions tournament, a career milestone celebrated fervently by the French audience.

Since capturing the men’s singles bronze at the Paris Olympics, Lebrun’s popularity in France has soared. As a native of Montpellier, he returned to play in front of hometown fans who packed the arena from the round of 16 onward, an unusual display of enthusiasm for table tennis in France.

In the semifinal earlier on Sunday, Lebrun dominated China’s Lin Shidong, the tournament’s top seed and world No. 2, in straight games: 14-12, 11-9, 11-9, 11-3. Later in the final, he overcame Harimoto with a decisive 11-7, 11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 11-4 scoreline.

“I played at my best today. When I’m in this form, I can beat the world’s best players,” the 18-year-old stated after the match, beaming with confidence.

“Knowing I’ll be the defending champion here for the next year is surreal. Competing in front of people who mean the most to me gave me energy and pushed me to perform at my peak,” he added.

In the women’s singles final, Japan’s Satsuki Odo defeated her compatriot Miwa Harimoto in a grueling six-game match, prevailing 11-4, 9-11, 9-11, 13-11, 11-7, 11-4 to secure the title.