Alexis Lebrun Knocked Out by Qiu Dang at European Championships

French table tennis player Alexis Lebrun surrendered his European singles crown on Saturday morning, falling 4-1 to Germany’s Qiu Dang in the quarterfinals of the European Table Tennis Championships.

Morning Nightmare Against Qiu Dang

The defending champion endured a difficult start on the tables, dropping the opening three games quickly against the world No. 11. Lebrun had previously eliminated Qiu at the same quarterfinal stage two years prior, but the German established control early with scores of 4-11, 12-14, and 4-11.

The second set offered a brief window for recovery, but Lebrun squandered two set points before dropping it. Frustration boiled over during the match when the 23-year-old French competitor received a yellow card for launching a ball too forcefully outside the playing area, and later dropped the third set following a missed service.

Lebrun delayed the inevitable by claiming the fourth game 11-8, though he struggled to create separation. Qiu, who had knocked out another Frenchman, Simon Gauzy, in the previous round, closed out the match in the fifth game with an 11-4 scoreline.

The Double Mixed Silver and Doubles Final Awaiting

The singles exit ends Lebrun’s reign as the continental champion he became in 2024. The defeat arrived less than 24 hours after he secured a silver medal in the mixed doubles event.

With his singles defense concluded, the Montpellier-born athlete turns his focus toward the evening schedule. Lebrun is set to contest the men’s doubles final alongside his brother, Félix Lebrun.

Prithika Pavade Reaches the Semifinals

While the men’s draw saw a major exit, the women’s tournament brought success for France. Prithika Pavade advanced to the semifinals with a straight-game victory over Romania’s Elena Zaharia, winning 11-4, 11-9, 16-14, 11-8.

The 22-year-old left-hander built upon her previous day’s victory over world No. 9 and European No. 1 Sabine Winter to secure her first senior European singles podium. Speaking to L’Équipe TV, Pavade reflected on her momentum: Au vu de ma lancée j’ai envie de penser à la suite et de continuer, adding that Avec l’expérience engrangée, j’essaie d’avancer et c’est cool de voir que cela fonctionne.

Pavade’s run marks the first time a French woman has reached the European singles podium since 2012, when Xian Yi Fang and Li Xue collected medals.

More on this story: Alexis and Félix Lebrun Reach European Table Tennis Quarter-Finals · European Table Tennis Championships: Lebrun Brothers Advance, French Doubles Shine

More on European Championships: Swedish Table Tennis Talent Siri Benjegård Exits European Championships After Defeat · Table Tennis Schedule Stress: From China Smash Directly to the European Championships · French players secure multiple medals at European Championships