Table tennis: at home the Lebrun brothers are the main favorites of the French championship in Montpellier

A fratricidal duel is approaching in Montpellier! Félix Lebrun and Alexis Lebrun, the number one and number two French table tennis players, are expected to compete at the French table tennis championships at home in Hérault this weekend.

In front of a packed house – sold out on Saturday and Sunday – the Lebrun brothers, who have also just signed a partnership with the Nicollin group, would logically be the competition favorites.

And if four months before the Olympic Games Felix Lebrun ranks first in the world rankings of the two (5th place from the beginning of the week), then Alexis Lebrun has a significant advantage over his younger brother: a two-time title winner, the older one has never lost to the younger one brother in official matches (3-0). Last win to date: European Top 16 quarter-final in January 2024.

17-year-old Felix is ​​chasing his first title at this competition. If he wins, he will become the youngest French champion in this discipline since Jacques Secutin in 1966. Eliminated from the first round, the Lebrun brothers, who also competed together in the men’s doubles, will enter the stadium competition in the 16th final. , Friday evening. The round of 16 match and quarter-finals are scheduled for Saturday, while the semi-finals and final are scheduled for Sunday.

Women’s Favorite Parade

The draw this Thursday evening placed Félix Lebrun in the same half of the table as Simon Gozi, three-time French champion (2013, 2020 and 2021). These two men could, as they will in 2023, meet in the semi-finals. Seeded third at the tournament, the native of Toulouse admitted to us at the beginning of the month about his desire to shine in this competition.

“The French Championship has always been very important,” he explained. It would be great to get a new title. » But Simon Gauzi knows he has a lot to face with his siblings. “Alexis and Felix (…) at home will do everything to win,” he added.

In the women’s tournament, in the absence of French No. 1 Jianan Yuan, Francilien Pritika Pavade is the favorite. In 2022, when she was only 17 years old, she had already won the French title. But be careful with Audrey Zarif, the surprise winner of the 2023 competition. The 99th ranked tennis player in the world, she was part of the team that won bronze medals at the last World Team Championships in Busan, South Korea. Sisters Camilla and Charlotte Lutz, regulars on national catwalks, also deserve attention.