France produced one of the most thrilling comebacks of the ITTF World Team Championships Finals, overturning a two-match deficit to defeat Japan 3-2 in a gripping Group stage clash in London.
The tie could not have started worse for the Europeans. Japan took full control early on, with Tomokazu HARIMOTO easing past Alexis LEBRUN in straight games, before Sora MATSUSHIMA doubled the lead with a confident 3-1 win over Félix LEBRUN.
At 0-2 down, France were on the brink. Then came the turning point. Flavien COTON ignited the comeback with a remarkable five-set victory over Shunsuke TOGAMI, saving the match and shifting momentum back to the French side.
With belief restored, Félix LEBRUN delivered one of the standout performances of the evening, overpowering HARIMOTO in straight games to level the tie at 2-2.
Everything came down to the decisive match. And it was Alexis LEBRUN who held his nerve. After taking the first two games, he saw Matsushima fight back to force a decider, but the Frenchman stayed composed to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory and complete an unforgettable turnaround.
France – Japan 3-2
Alexis LEBRUN – Tomokazu HARIMOTO 0-3 (8-11, 7-11, 6-11)
Félix LEBRUN – Sora MATSUSHIMA 1-3 (9-11, 5-11, 11-6, 10-12)
Flavien COTON – Shunsuke TOGAMI 3-2 (6-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-9, 14-12)
Félix LEBRUN – Tomokazu HARIMOTO 3-0 (11-9, 11-2, 11-4)
Alexis LEBRUN – Sora MATSUSHIMA 3-2 (11-9, 11-8, 8-11, 9-11, 11-9)
AloJapan.com