France emerged as one of the standout teams on a dramatic day at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026, securing two important victories and strengthening their position at the top of the group.
After overcoming Japan earlier in the day, the French side followed up with a 3-1 win against Germany. Despite trailing early, they recovered and turned the match around with authority.
“We’re extremely happy with these two wins today,” said Felix LEBRUN. “They were both tough teams to beat, so this puts us in a strong position going into the final day of the group. We’ll try to keep the momentum going against Japan.”
Germany had started strongly, with Benedikt DUDA giving his team the lead after a solid win over Simon GAUZY. However, the French response was immediate. Felix Lebrun and Alexis Lebrun delivered crucial wins, before Félix sealed the tie in straight sets in the fourth match.
Simon GAUZY highlighted the importance of the result: “We had already beaten Germany at the European Championships, but that doesn’t make this win any less significant, especially since they had beaten Japan earlier today. They have three top-class players, so we’re really pleased with how the team handled going 0-1 down and then turned it around. It was a true team performance from start to finish, which is very encouraging for what’s ahead.”
For Germany, the day ended with mixed emotions. After an impressive 3-2 victory over Japan, they were unable to replicate the same level later against a sharp and confident French side. Head coach Jorg ROSSKOPF remained pragmatic:
“Overall, it was a good day. We beat a great team in Japan and lost deservedly to France. But we believe we can beat them.”
Adding to the drama, one of the biggest surprises in recent table tennis history unfolded alongside, China suffered a 1-3 defeat to Korea, their first World Championship loss in 26 years. The result has completely reshaped the dynamics of the group and opened the door for multiple teams heading into the final round.
France now carry momentum and confidence into their next match, while Germany regroup for a decisive encounter against Chinese Taipei.
