Alex Lebrun (Photo WTT)
Home favourite Alexis Lebrun came back from the brink to send Japanese ace Tomokazu Harimoto packing in five jaw-dropping games 9-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-9, 12-10 at the WTT Montpellier.
Emotions were off the scale with the most unlikely of comebacks – four match point saves from Lebrun right at the death capped off a special evening for the Frenchman.
Meanwhile, on the flip side, it’s a tough pill to swallow for two-time WTT Champions event winner Harimoto, a result which echoes his defeat to Alexis’s brother, Felix Lebrun, in last year’s men’s singles final.
Second seed Harimoto profited early on from an intriguing time-out call, scoring two points in a row to seal the first game 9-11. Not the start the Montpellier faithful had hoped for, and nervous energy would soon begin to circulate around the arena.
Lebrun appeared in control towards the latter stages of the second game, the World No.13 leading by a 10-8 point margin. But Harimoto mounted a successful response once again, stealing four consecutive points to put him within touching distance of victory in Montpellier.
However, Lebrun refused to throw in the towel, leaning on the electrifying crowd support emanating from the stands. The Frenchman came flying out of the gates to take a comfortable third game, a timely response, before clinching a tight fourth to send play to an all-out decider.
“The crowd is unbelievable, we have the best crowd in the world, they help with every match, and they played a big role again today!” said Lebrun.
As the action progressed in the fifth and final game, Harimoto surged ahead, leaving Lebrun in his dust. A 6-10 lead for the Japanese player put him on the cusp – surely the win was now his?
Despite being in an almost impossible position, Lebrun displayed remarkable resilience, pulling off spellbinding shots as he went on to take the next six points, and with it, the match, knocking a stunned Harimoto out of the title race.
“I will try to sleep, as it’s never easy to rest after a match like this. I am so happy to play in the next round in front of this amazing crowd, and I will just try to enjoy every moment at the table,” added Lebrun
Meanwhile, Dang Qiu was at his haunting best as he sent Oh Junsung out in four gripping games 8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-9.
Exacting revenge for his China Smash 2025 exit, Qiu played the role of Grim Reaper as he cut down the Korean ace in a spectacle worthy of the season’s spookiest stage.
A slow start from the German saw Oh take the first game, but Qiu hit back with swift retribution, swiping where it hurt as he claimed two games on the trot to lead by a 2-1 game margin.
A chill was in the air as the two stars threw down in the fourth game, with neither player able to soar ahead with an early point advantage.
With the score now locked down at 9-9, Qiu produced great control to block his way to 10-9, before a brilliant backhand counter-topspin ultimately buried rival Oh, with Qiu taking the win 11-9, earning him a well-deserved ticket to the men’s singles quarterfinals.
Truls Moregard delivered a clinical performance to oust compatriot Anton Kallberg from title contention, the Europe Smash – Sweden 2025 champion winning in three straight games 11-9, 11-4, 11-9.
Moregard will face German icon Dimitrij Ovtcharov in his next test, the latter having overcome Hwan Bae on Thursday afternoon 12-10, 11-7, 11-5.
Meanwhile, the upsets keep on coming in the women’s singles, as Puerto Rican star Adriana Diaz takes down fourth seed Zhu Yuling on Thursday afternoon 11-5, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8.
Following her stellar run at WTT Champions Macao 2025, where Diaz became the first player from the Americas to reach a women’s singles quarterfinal at WTT Champions level, Diaz’s impressive form continues as she upsets former World No.1 Zhu to book her spot in the women’s singles Round of 16 on French soil.
Clashing for the first time at a WTT Series event, Diaz made the first move, winning the opening game with an 11-5 scoreline. The early assault prompted swift retaliation from United States Smash 2025 champion Zhu, the Macao, China player levelling play at one game each.
The third game began like a cat and mouse chase, with Zhu falling behind at 5-2, only to recover to 6-5, resulting in a Time-Out call from the Puerto Rican. The break ended, and play would eventually favour Diaz again, as she showcased brisk strokes and clever tactical play to lead Zhu by a 2-1 game advantage.
Momentum appeared to be shifting as Zhu pulled back a 6-3 point deficit to 6-6 in the fourth game. But things changed once again, as Diaz progressed the score to 10-8. With a breath-taking backhand counter-topspin, the World No.18 claimed the game and match, throwing her racket to the floor in jubilant celebration!
“Recently Zhu Yuling has been playing unbelievable, she just won in Las Vegas (United States Smash 2025), so, I knew it was going to be hard. Sometimes you get better draws, sometimes you get not that good draws, but I just entered the match trying to do whatever I could to take the win,” said Diaz.
Sixth seed Chen Yi was given a fright in her women’s singles Round of 16 test with Sofia Polcanova, the Chinese star winning in five gruelling games 11-13, 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7.
The Austrian nearly perfectly resurrected from a 1-2 game deficit on Infinity ∞ Arena. But it wasn’t to be, as she fell by the narrowest of margins to her higher-ranked opponent, with Chen marching on to the Women’s Singles quarterfinals on French ground.
“I played well, and it was great I could walk away with the win today. Polcanova put up a great and aggressive fight. The last time we played, I had the upper hand during rallies, but today, I felt that I was at a disadvantage especially with our top-spin exchanges. Eventually, I managed to adjust my serve and third ball attack to take home the victory,” said Chen Yi.
Elsewhere, Prithika Pavade’s brave run has come to an end following her Round of 16 exit to Harimoto’s younger sister, Miwa Harimoto, beaten 11-9, 11-6, 5-11, 10-12, 11-4.
Pavade put up a brilliant show on home soil, challenging the Japanese favourite in the first game, while managing to seize a quick third to put one foot in the door.
The fourth game was marked by more nail-biting drama, as Pavade saw four Game Points nullified, Harimoto levelling play at 10-10, only for the French star to capitalise once again to clinch the game 12-10.
But WTT Star Contender London 2025 champion Harimoto was just too strong in the final game, simply outplaying Pavade to seal victory on Infinity ∞ Arena, the Japanese sensation booking her spot in the quarterfinals with a stylish 11-4 finish.
