To reach the semi-finals of the Olympic tournament, Félix Lebrun will have a lot to do this Thursday. On paper, the Frenchman has the advantage: he is better ranked (5th in the world) than his competitor, Lin Yun-ju (8th). The Taiwanese reached at best 5th place, in August 2021, when Félix was not even in the top 1,000.
Two years ago, the Montpellier player lost the first of their three confrontations (3-1), in Doha. Subsequently, he did not give him a single set in the six played, in Singapore and Busan, South Korea. This last meeting, last February, had already been played in a context with high stakes since it was the semi-finals of the World Team Championships. Lin Yun-ju had then inflicted a stinging 3-0 on Alexis Lebrun, before his younger brother avenged him and propelled the Blues to the final, a first since 1997.
Already an Olympic medal for the Taiwanese
At 3pm this Thursday, Félix Lebrun will be carried by thousands of compatriots shouting his name in the Paris Sud Arena. If that is not enough to give him confidence, he can also draw on the memory of his epic fight in the round of 16 on Wednesday, completed in seven rounds against the six-time Olympic medalist Dimitrij Ovtcharov and under the eyes of Zinédine Zidane, discreetly installed in the stands.
Be wary, however, because Lin Yun-ju is not only a formidable opponent, having already lifted three WTT trophies, including the last in Frankfurt in 2023 against the Chinese legend Ma Long, but he also has experience of the Olympic Games. The 22-year-old left-hander (five more than Félix) won bronze in mixed doubles in Tokyo. On the French side, it has been six editions that table tennis has been deprived of a trinket.
