European Table Tennis Championships: Alexis Lebrun eliminated, Félix advances, Pavade repeats his feat

Published on: 17/10/2026 - 13:05Updated on: 17/10/2026 - 17:22

3 min Reading time

Considered one of the favorites to win, silver medalist in mixed doubles, Alexis Lebrun relinquishes the title he won in 2024 and will need to regroup quickly if he wants to defend his men's doubles crown, which he will compete for this evening with his brother Félix.

The singles victory remains within reach for a Lebrun, as Félix impressively defeated another German, Patrick Franziska (4-0: 11-2, 11-8, 11-2, 11-8), to reach the semi-finals, marking the first of his career. Often formidable with his serve and return, he significantly troubled his opponent, who rarely took the lead in each set.

The day for the 20-year-old player started ideally, unlike that of Alexis Lebrun, which resembled a true nightmare. He was dominated by the world No. 11 - whom he had eliminated at the same stage two years ago - and quickly fell behind 3-0. Although he regained some confidence in the second set, he let slip two set points.

Seemingly disarmed, the 23-year-old French player even showed signs of irritation, as evidenced by the yellow card he received for hitting the ball too hard out of the court, as well as for losing the third set due to a missed serve. Admittedly, he delayed the inevitable by winning the fourth set, albeit with considerable difficulty in pulling ahead. But Dang Qiu, who had already eliminated Simon Gauzy the day before, appeared almost unbeatable.