France’s table tennis team, led by the Lebrun brothers, was eliminated in the team world championships semi-final after a 3-1 loss to China on Saturday in London.
Defeated at the end of a tense evening at Wembley Arena, the French side saw their run end against the world number one nation. Félix Lebrun dominated Lin Shidong 3-0, while 18-year-old Flavien Coton pushed Wang Chuqin to a 3-2 score. Alexis Lebrun fell 3-2 to Liang Jingkun after squandering two match points.
Félix Lebrun’s final 3-1 loss to Wang Chuqin confirmed the elimination. France, the current European champions, will settle for bronze. China, unbeaten in the event since 2001, will face Japan in Sunday’s final.
Two years after their silver in Busan, the French showed the gap with China is narrowing, yet they could not overcome the hurdle in the semi-final.
