French Table Tennis Star Félix Lebrun Falls to Compatriot Simon Gauzy at WTT Champions Montpellier
Montpellier, France – Félix Lebrun, the defending champion at the WTT Champions tournament in Montpellier, suffered a surprising defeat in the round of 16 against fellow Frenchman Simon Gauzy. The loss marks the first time Gauzy has bested Lebrun in eight career matchups,winning a tightly contested match 4-11,11-8,12-10,6-11,11-5.
Lebrun, who enjoyed a successful run at the Montpellier event last year, expressed disappointment but acknowledged Gauzy’s strong performance. ”I am disappointed to lose this match, there are moments that he managed better than me,” Lebrun told the FFTT. “I have already managed to beat him in close matches, where it was almost him who dominated, this time I had the feeling that I was often good in the exchanges but it turned on his side. He played very well, he deserves his victory.”
Despite the setback, Lebrun offered high praise for Gauzy, describing him as “a great player” and admitting he wasn’t surprised by the result, given their frequent training sessions together. “I train wiht him all the time, and I no his level. I knew he was capable of reaching this level.”
Looking ahead, Lebrun remains focused on the remainder of his season, with upcoming competitions scheduled in Frankfurt, Oman, the Mixed World Cup, and the WTT Finals.”I am disappointed not to continue the adventure in Montpellier, especially as I felt good in training, and I feel good in matches,” he added.
