French teenager Felix Lebrun showcased his prowess once again, overcoming Brazilian Hugo Calderano for the second time in four days on Wednesday. This crucial victory helped France secure a spot in the men’s team table tennis semifinals at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Lebrun, just 17, employed short serves to his advantage, securing the first two games 11-6 and 11-7 against Calderano, the first Latin American player to reach the singles semifinals. Though Calderano attempted a comeback in the third game, ultimately losing 13-11, Lebrun’s dominance secured a 3-0 victory for France. Lebrun’s older brother, Alexis, then added to the team’s triumph, defeating Brazilian Vitor Ishiy 3-1, setting up a semifinal clash with China. With home crowd support, France hopes to challenge China’s dominance, a team they have faced previously under less favorable conditions. “Every time we play China, it’s normally in their country or in Asia, so every time there are many fans for them, but this time will be a little bit different,” said Felix Lebrun. “I think it’s a great boost and also not easy for them every time they lose a point to hear a big sound in the audience. Maybe it can be a bit different,” he added.
Meanwhile, China’s men’s and women’s teams effortlessly sailed into the semifinals, securing 3-0 victories on Wednesday. The women’s team overpowered Taiwan, while the men’s team overcame the fifth-seeded South Korea earlier in the day. Despite facing some resistance in the second and third singles matches, China’s world number one, Wang Chuqin, emerged victorious over Korea’s Jang Woojin 3-1. Similarly, China’s world number two, Fan Zhendong, defeated Lim Jonghoon by the same score. Ma Long, paired with Wang for the opening doubles contest, secured a 3-0 win, praising his teammate’s skills and mental strength. “Wang Chuqin had a good hit rate today. I told him he’s doing well, so he didn’t have to rush things even when it’s not always going well in the games,” said Ma.
Germany’s women’s team will continue their Olympic journey, even after their men’s team, led by Timo Boll, was eliminated by Sweden on Tuesday. Annett Kaufmann, at just 18 years old, secured two invaluable points for Germany in their 3-1 victory over India, securing their semi-final spot against Japan. Kaufmann, a first-time Olympian, demonstrated remarkable composure, clinching crucial points at pivotal moments. She overcame the U.S. team in a closely contested deciding game in the round of 16 and on Wednesday, she triumphed over higher-ranked Indian players Manika Batra and Akula Sreeja. Her remarkable performance marked a transformation from reserve player to Germany’s top singles pick, stepping up after injuries to other team members. “It wasn’t really easy for us to be mentally good again, and to fight even though we don’t have the two best players on our team. But that makes me even more proud of us that we could manage to win,” said Kaufmann.
