FULL MATCH | FAN Zhendong vs LEBRUN Alexis | MT F | #ITTFWorlds2024

I think it's important to remember that when you're the underdog, you've got to try and enjoy yourself when you're the favorite as well. Net there for LeBron, but the fact that they know they're capable and not winning points is what's frustrating the LeBrons. So just try and enjoy it a bit more. You do have to be calm. I'll tell you what is hugely impressive about Alexi LeBron, he probably needs this boost, is that he has got one of the best winning percentages against Chinese players out there. He's only played 12, so the sample size is small, but you'll still be impressed with it. It's just shy of 60 percent, which is, and that includes a win against Fan Zhendong. That's huge. Yeah, I know it's only 12, but so far so very good. Yeah, so you've got to use these little points for yourself to give you that confidence. China were that good that you almost have to have a little bit of delusion to beat them. Give yourself, look, you kept talking throughout this event about how Korea believed in themselves that they could take on China. Yeah, and they almost did. And look at this. In particular yesterday impressed, but look, he's not playing well in his last two matches. He's come out here positively. What a start this has been for him. He'll feel like he's due another amazing performance because after that rapid rise, he has struggled a little bit, Alexi LeBron, just to get to that next stage. Yeah, he had that meteoric rise from being in the thousands up to a top 20 player in about 15 months. He was ahead of his brother at one point, wasn't he? And then it's kind of switched. As has the score here, but a positive start. Remember how well Wang Chuqin was at the beginning against Felix. Stylistically, this might be just a bit of a better match for Alexi than it was for Felix against Wang Chuqin. You're playing against a right-handed player who is also very aggressive. You could see complement each other and you can see some really, really great exchanges. They're not looking to rally though, don't get me wrong, but the power and spin is coming from a place which Alexi LeBron is more used to. Just had that longer serve. On top here now, Fan Zhendong, snappy backhand. Look how low he is. I mean, he's had his own troubles, hasn't he? Fan Zhendong as well over the last year, where he started to look a bit more vulnerable. In the sense that he's not done his very, very best on the WTT stage. Yeah, you can say that, but look, and all the majors in terms of the world champs winning in Houston, winning in Durban. Only one away from leveling Ma Long and Wang Liqin's record and he's only 27 still, Fan Zhendong. Remember that? Correct. Catches the edge. He's running away. Five-point lead. No, eight-five, yeah. They've decided that was indeed an edge. What a flick. Chiquita, Chiquita. No topspin on that whatsoever. Almost side. Yeah. Because it was slower as well, it makes it even trickier to calibrate a shot against. Now, let's see what he does with the serves here, Alexi. Right down the middle. What will Fan do? Push used very, very aggressively. Has clawed his way back into this. He looked for a while that he was out for the count, but he's stuck in there. You can see Alexi Liberon actually to misdirect an opponent when he does his push because his head does a little shimmy. Fan Zhendong, nine-eight up though still. Here he is. Great push, but misses his count to the world number one and he's leveled here, LeBron. This is impressive from LeBron. Well, he was comfortable, wasn't he? Fan Zhendong for a while. And the French fans there sensing maybe something might be on. Has game point. Raw power matching Fan Zhendong. Look at how he's come back here. Six of the last eight. Seven-four up. And then he got that edge, didn't he? Soon after. He couldn't finish after having game points against Lin Wenru. Can he take this against Fan Zhendong? That's a very good point. He has taken the first game. And they never really looked back. And there is going to be pressure here of Fan Zhendong. Flicking there with fortitude. Alexi even though he's in front still trying to change things up which is very good because sometimes you get a bit too safe when you're in the lead. Now exuding all the confidence. Slow but look at that for a crack. This is quite something. I'm not sure we quite thought this was going to happen. Trying to play shots. Trying to play the front foot. Gotta admire it from Alexi LeBrun. Look at this. How fast, how compact was that from Fan? He's got a smile on his face as well. He enjoyed that Alexi LeBrun. These are the kind of rallies even if you lose that can cement you in the history books. Showcasing his class here. Alexi LeBrun. Here he comes with his lollipop. Goes ahead by two here. The world number one. This is that previous rally. That was one for the ages. This is the backlash perhaps we're seeing now from Fan Zhendong. He's up by three here Fan Zhendong. He knows now even a big lead or a decent lead at the business end of a game you need to be careful. He's varying it isn't he? You can see what he's trying to do here Alexi LeBrun. He's varying it up making it a little tricky for Fan Zhendong. He's doing it in an aggressive way though. He's not continuing. As soon as he senses an opportunity to come in with a counter he does it. He just keeps you guessing. He does and here you can see that's a typical Alexi LeBrun trying to go fast. Playing so freely. I'd say so. It's not too impressed with that Fan Zhendong. This is determination about Alexi LeBrun right now. Changes it to a tomahawk serve. Fan really has to be on his toes. Has to be open-minded. Because of all the different shots Alexi's forcing him to play here. Here he comes with his reverse pendulum into the forehand. Nicely done. This is better. Look how wide his base is. How engaged his core is there Fan Zhendong. How balanced he is. Seven of the last eight. Now this is looking very tricky for LeBrun now. He's up by one here. A very tricky spin there. Into an uncomfortable position. Fan though. The man that you put your money on in this position to level things up. Well he's now set himself up with a whopping six game points here. But a well-placed flip from Alexi who anticipated the long fast reverse into backhand. Or maybe it didn't. But he reacted so well. Wow here we go. Really good start. Really good from LeBrun. This is just what he needed. Already almost scored as many points as he did in the last game. Good point. And I just wonder if we're gonna get. Well I was gonna say. What were you gonna say? We'll hold off for now. Beastly. On the backhand he goes long. Well his teammates applaud him. Gritting his teeth here. What a point that was. He's not intimidated by this at all is he? Let's have a look back at that rally from earlier. But correction there from his own teammates as well. Fan Zhendong. What did he do really well that last encounter that you're seeing here? Alexi LeBrun. That's how he made time for himself with slightly slower spinnier serves on his set for his third ball. And went a bit further back actually. To give himself the time to really play his big bomber shots. And this is what he's doing here. There are some very much Chinese elements to Alexi LeBrun's game. Alexi looking at the table there as I say. Was there enough space on you for Fan Zhendong to actually make that angle? Is the table actually that wide? Oh look at that. Still up by three here. What a winner. Got him where he wants him and he kills him off. God this is taking a lot of work though isn't it? It is, it is. He's really on the graph for this. Maybe that's also part of the plan. Well you see elements of Gozi but also elements of the most aggressive players in Alexi's game. Look at this. Fan player basically a perfect point. Oh the counter on that which he's playing. Superb shot. He's looking like he did in that first game didn't he? Alexi LeBrun. Oh can he go 2-1 up here? Chop block. Counter. Tries to go down the line with his backhand block. He's storming back. Fan could do the same to him. Straight shooting from Alexi to go 2-1 up on the world number one who hasn't lost a match yet here at the world championships. What about that for a game point save? As good as you can play Chiquita but Fan not even fully behind the ball there managing to make the line. Is it too little too late though? Game point still for Fan Zhendong. He's making a run for it here. Fan Zhendong. Now look the press is building here on LeBrun. He needs to close this out. Get it to 2-1. I think he'll try and do a wide one. Let's see. He didn't. Went into the middle. Great flip. Oh massive here. Honestly he's manifesting everything he could have dreamed of last night before we knew he'd be playing this final Alexi LeBrun. There's a man possessed today. He really is. It's kind of gone under the radar a little bit with everyone focusing on Felix LeBrun. He's not been playing well recently. He's leading here in the game that could end up seeing LeBrun beating Fan 3-1. Timeout to a foreigner in Li Sangsu. Wang Chuqin has lost to Zhang Wujing. So if Fan wins. Yeah. If he loses then it doesn't make this selection challenge any different really in that sense. True. Huge huge there for Fan Zhendong. You can tell there was some tension in the air. Gets him. Top edge off the backhand of Fan. He's lobbing. He was on top of that rally from the very beginning Alexi LeBrun. And even after the top edge of the backhand he didn't get distracted. So physical Alexi LeBrun. Remind you again they have only met once before and Alexi LeBrun won that. That was last year. He won that the last game ending 11-9. It was in Macau. 6-11, 11-9, 6-11, 8-11. Let me try that again. 3-2, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9. It was a tight final game. And it ended on an edge ball. The one that he won. Yeah. Well there you go. On cue. Thank you. You could not have timed that better. It's been a card shown to Fan Zhendong. Now the net effect of that isn't very much but it's just going to add on to him not being a bit tense as well. It's a bit of a gray area when players recognize the ritual of the opponent. Right. I mean what a way to level. You could feel the frustration of Fan Zhendong coming out with that ripping one. Yeah. It was almost an all-or-nothing shot. They've both got tremendous sweet spots on their backhands haven't they? Where they can hit it from. Look at this here from Alexi. He talked about the backhands. You knew it was top spin Lebrun. Very decisive shot. Everything has to have intent. Oh it comes back within points away from what would be a remark here in the final. Well they're loving it the teammates. This is a man possessed at the moment. Alexi Lebrun. Good heavens. What is going on here? Really wide serve goes for the other side. He's trying to switch Fan Zhendong around ASAP. Fan with a pretty spinny slow flick there. It's good to do that when you're not in the best position. Play a slower spinnier ball. Gives you time to come back into a better area. That was a protective flick. Didn't have to play a third ball though there. Or a fourth ball rather. Fan Zhendong's last loss in a team championships match was against Tomokazu Harimoto in the semi-finals. Last time out in Chengdu. Do you remember that? That was an epic, epic game. China again were driven right to the very end. Before that it was Gerald Geraldo of Portugal who had match points on him in Halmstad. But it is rarer than a rarity. Well he's roaring back here. He's been trailing throughout this fourth game. Back in front. Is not gonna let him have the lead. Oh my. Oh my god. He's set up a game, a match point here. Not yet. Zhendong is not done. Went with the long serve. Now a couple of points for either one of them to make it either two all or three one. And it's now match point for Alexey Lebrun. With all the adrenaline he's still gonna chow that even though he hit the net mid-rally. It's match point to Alexey Lebrun of France to level it in this final. What an incredible turn of events this has been. China look deflated there. This is their main man. Man who's gone through unbeaten so far. Who's dropped just one game until today. He is also the world number one for a reason. Oh is he just saved. Match point in that way. Oh my goodness. What a treat this is. There's so much of what we saw yesterday. And he's now caught. Listen when the coaches are getting that animated you know how much is on the line. He just doubled that up didn't he. It was a tricky serve. First game point for Fan Zhendong. Nearly in a hundred year history of this event. There's no doubt about it right. You've just been in charge for almost 90 percent of that game. And had a match point. Right. And you've ended up losing it. That's got a sting. I do a good job wouldn't it to sweep it under the carpet. Yeah. But it's a brand new game. It's a fifth and final. Just wonder he's feeling the after effects. Lebrun. Fan Zhendong has not been pushed this much in this tournament. But he's had a superb start here. He's just found another level hasn't he. Look at how he contorts his body anatomically there. How low he is. Seven of the last eight. Fan Zhendong's way. He is cruising this game. And Alexi's keeping his chin up. He's trying to stay positive here Lebrun. Has to. Yeah. I mean he's got to get points now. It's going to be so difficult for him otherwise. That was key to end that run. But how tough is this man. How many situations have we seen him. Now we felt like he should have lost but didn't. That's the strength of him. The mental strength. Is there still something more to this tale. Well when he played in Macau. Fan Zhendong had a convincing lead in that fifth. What will happen here though. Lebrun. Trying to get back in the face of Fan. Oh Alexi Lebrun is fearless. He stays in it for as long as he can. Then looks to counter. He falls just short. Just waiting for his moment wasn't he. It's a lead of three here for Fan. Wow. Every game but Fan's ability to finish things off. To bring a rally to a conclusion. Immaculate. This becomes difficult for France if they now go on to lose this. It's 2-0. After agonizingly coming close to leveling it. He's edging closer here Fan Zhendong. Job not done yet. But it's a lead of six. This should be over now. He's done the hard bit. Yeah and that has not helped himself unfortunately. It's uh your feel for Alexi Lebrun. Because he's played himself. He's played a huge part in this fantastic match. 13 of the last 16. Fan Zhendong's way. There's just so much belief now. This was important for him. No matter what happens here. I know he's going to feel dejected. Alexi Lebrun if he loses this. But the manner he played so well isn't he. The best match I've seen him play in about 12 months. And he's just in moments like this. You see why he's pushed Fan Zhendong all the way. It's massive. The timing right off the bounce. We heard a little sound there. This is a late flourish from Lebrun. Get as close to him as you can before Fan Zhendong gets to 10. Then the margin of error is zero. Nail biting time for Simon Gauzy. Because he faces the dragon next. Five of them now for Fan Zhendong. Could have all been so different in this final. But it's a could have, would have and maybe should have for Alexi Lebrun. Still in this. Saves one. Four more. But a Fan Zhendong set piece should finish it. Yeah. Good. It's not quite done yet. Alexi Lebrun is going down fighting. Or is he? Is he going down? We don't know. Three match points. We think he'll take something very, very special against this world's number one.