Table tennis – Team World Championships (M): The French crush Brazil to reach the semi

At the end of a dominant battle of wits and strength, with Flavien Coton outmatching Hugo Calderano, the French team left no chance for Brazil and easily qualified for the semi-finals of the Team World Table Tennis Championships.

The French team is truly unstoppable in London. Undefeated in the group stage and defeating the United States and Portugal without any difficulty, the French team had to face Brazil on Friday for a spot in the semi-finals. Flavien Coton was chosen to kick off the match against the 5th world-ranked Hugo Calderano. Although Calderano made a strong start, Coton managed to win the first set, creating doubt in his opponent’s mind. Despite a comeback attempt from Calderano in the third set, Coton sealed a nearly perfect match with a victory (12-10, 11-8, 11-9).

Following Coton’s success, Felix Lebrun took on Guilherme Teodoro, ranked 144th worldwide. Lebrun dominated the match, securing a swift victory in the first set and only giving away two points in the second set. Despite losing a point in the third set, Lebrun maintained control. Moving forward, Alexis Lebrun continued the winning streak for the French team with a strong performance against Leonardo Iizuka, eventually winning (11-4, 11-2, 11-4).

Now, the French team is set to face China in the semi-finals on Saturday, in a highly anticipated rematch of the 2024 final, which the French team lost significantly.