Felix Lebrun vs An Jaehyun | Match Highlights | #ITTFWorlds2025

Anything above the wrist, no good. This backhand, the confidence to counter like that. It felt like a steady opening shot from Félix Lebrun. Almost saves it after that net ball. That's a really impressive point. I think Félix there is showing all his capabilities from defense to attack there. He took advantage of that open space on the table, Félix. Placement into the middle. Now in the modern game, the penhold grip that China used all the way through. Trying to keep him baseline here. The spin, you can see how much the ball accelerates off the bounce to send on Jaehyun back. There it is, the parallel gets a push long to the forehand. Félix Lebrun takes game number one. Soft to the forehand. In the middle of the table and the guide right down the line secures. But this was a tight fight in game number one. Interesting, Ahn Jaehyun has impressed me throughout this event. One of which is the son of Ahn Jaehyun's coach currently. Power with sidespin, but it's still in play. Oh, we look for the bend. He tried to play it soft and spinny. That is always a difficult shot. I wouldn't put it past him. A bit of roll reversal here, Ahn Jaehyun behind the table. Keeping it deep, drop shots are tough. Oh, what a finish. Amazing get from under the table, Ahn Jaehyun. That's the type of position where you hit a ball. Reminds me of Han Ying and Wang Manyu. These counters so quickly with one player behind the table. Ahn Jaehyun back in front by two. Trying to slow down Félix's rhythm. What a forehand and the step around. Wow, to finish the game, he makes it count with that receive. And just to elaborate on the slowing of rhythm, Félix has the fastest rhythm. Came back from quite a bit down earlier. What a counter, Ahn Jaehyun under pressure. I've never seen him play, it's crazy. I've seen him play a lot over the years, and in 2019 he was incredible. That had so much power behind it. How does he generate that much power from that low, that far behind the table? Athleticism required, why do you work out for this sport? How can you not be out of your seat for that? 14 to 12, the timeout pays off, I guess. Wow. In that instance it does pay off, but I'm still confused, I'm still confused. Maybe there was something that we didn't acknowledge or notice. But Ahn Jaehyun does go 2-1 up, saves. I think that's a big part of his game, right? Not letting the opponent have time to think. Oh, Ahn Jaehyun changes it up and goes down the line here, with the backhand from behind the table. Ahn Jaehyun with a wonderful lob and then the counterattacks. You've got to shake that off the way Félix did, because otherwise that will haunt you for the rest of your life. Casual and comfortable in the rally, Ahn Jaehyun times it well, but Félix on top of the table doesn't leave much time. The patterns are right, you can feel it. Peculiar timeout that worked. That said, it will not repeat. Félix Evran ties it up, two games apiece. The last Korean man standing, Ahn Jaehyun, after the exit of Jang Woojin at the hands of none other than Truls Morgaard in an epic battle earlier today. The fighting Korean. So that he can come back fully fresh. And use all his energy for points like that. Yeah, the transitions are so fast here, when it's right on the elbow, that's a choice. And then looking for that parallel. Oh, the blitzing the table gives him the angle, takes away the timing. With all the spin coming in, it was just so clever. Still got to make sure the table's clear. The muscle back to do that. I thought the first shot to the middle hit Félix in the shirt, but he returned it somehow. Heavy side spin. And he twiddled back. Look at that, watch, red on forehand, just twiddled there expecting the forehand. The wherewithal to turn it so quickly. It's actually brilliant by Félix there. Staying close to the table, really forcing those shots with a lot of power. Beautiful parallel shot. It will not be a 13-11 victory. No matter which way this one goes, it'll be at least 12 points for the player who gets beaten out here in this game. It's a best of seven, so it won't be over. Clever, clever. Game point, Félix. And he takes the game 14-12. It is a reverse of the last time. He was up 10-7 and there was a comeback. Félix one game away from a quarterfinals. This is big. And the spin game, a flawless start after five points. Straight out of the therapy chair and onto the court. Can't do much better than this so far. If I remember correctly. Came back to 6-5, if I remember correctly, and he took the time out. That's right. Oh, the edge. Gets an RBB chop. A little bit of fortune here for Ahn Jae-hyun behind the table. Jae-hyun's match. After another game point saved, it was Oh Sang-hoon who said to me, There's the serve that comes in clutch. The reverse pendulum short to the forehand side. And we are going to the D, to the side, to the der. Game number seven. For Ahn Jae-hyun. There's 4% between them. What a read. I thought it was coming back into the net. It looked like he put some underspin on it from under the table. Look. Yeah. Perfect read from Félix Lebrun. Still side topspin to finish. Ahn Jae-hyun did the exact same back to him. Still alive. Félix moves into the table like we've seen him do throughout Maria. What are you feeling? I'm thinking, what are we watching here? This is absolutely incredible. Secures the victory. A finish after this crazy comeback. Félix Lebrun held it together until the very end. But at the absolute last moment, Ahn Jae-hyun shows superior out here on the table today. 11-9. After winning 11-6 in the previous. Wow. Ahn Jae-hyun. Korean drama out here. He needs his own theme song. This right here could be the soap that just absolutely mesmerizes and continues the series. The series continues. Think about what happened last night. Match point saved. This time he was on the other end of it.