FULL MATCH | Wang Chuqin vs Felix Lebrun | MS SF | #WTTSingapore2026

Last time when these two played in the final of the China Smash, Wen Chuqin won four games to zero and he had an 81% success rate on his serve. Whoa! That is monstrous, he served 32 times, he won 26 of the points. My goodness, here comes serve number one. And his numbers are down. Zero percent so far. This is where Felix would have spent all of his time practicing, researching. Yeah, so he got caught a lot in that China Smash match. Playing backspin off the first ball and Wen Chuqin was just lifting it with so much topspin. And the forehand flick is coming in. Felix has done his homework. Yeah, it's a feature of his game ordinarily anyway. He likes to get into the table and flick when he can. Careful being caught coming in going back because Wen Chuqin will just lance it past you. And again in China it was really noticeable. Wen Chuqin was often trying to just force Felix backwards to take a back step and then he would just dominate the table. So it's quite almost like a strangely passive first few shots in a rally for Wen Chuqin. Really targeting the crossover. So for Felix it's all about can you routinely receive that serve and put yourself in a good position? And then can you hold your ground? Can you stay close? We're in Las Vegas. You know it was eventually 11-9 in the seventh for Chuqin coming through there. If we have anything like that kind of a contest again. Bates even said in his victory over Lin Shidong, he referenced the forehand and how much better it's been recently and how much work he's done on it. Chuqin unfazed. That's such a wonderful cut. Such a great short forehand receive. It's a lot of backspin on. And it's another ball that Wen Chuqin has just popped off the end. I appreciate it was a letter. He can just get so much power. Remember he's a left-hander. So where Felix can normally dominate backhand to backhand and bludgeon people. That actually plays into Wen Chuqin's forehand. It's a different dynamic. It started well as the young Frenchman is sharp. It's going to feed off this crowd. Did so well to come out here. Leaning forward, back high. Got the angle perfectly correct. Yeah, game recognizing game there. Wong Hao impressed by his charge there. Oh, that's so good from Felix. He's got to find other ways to win points. The touch dead short to the forehand. And then the backhand block. Twice now we've seen him do that. Unable to cope. Thinking he's stepping in with an easy enough play. Yeah, again in their last match. Wen Chuqin did that a lot. And Felix was always pushing the ball with backspin. What they see from the number one. The talisman. One who leads the team. Initiative in this match. Remember, he just missed that backhand flip, didn't he, Felix? I wonder if he might try and let this one come off the end of the table a little bit and spin it up. Or if Wen Chuqin is the one to break the pattern. Might serve middle here. Oh, and it's a backhand for half. The guessing game. Always the bluff game. Look at Felix. Bluffed. And now facing game point. Same again. It's a double bluff. Whoa. But this kid learns fast. Always has. Look at the reaction. Juice. What? How did Felix stay in the rally? Two balls fired at his hip. And then the counter was there when he needed it. He's right knee on the ground. Wow. Earning a game point of his own now on the Chuqin serve. Pressure now. Where does he go? It's fascinating, isn't it? Double up. Double bluff. Felix Lebrun has taken the first bite. A challenge for Chuqin. The likes of which he hasn't really had yet here in Singapore this week. It's Wen Chuqin who steps in to find the final blow. Hot sauce on that one, didn't he? He finds himself suddenly four down having won the first. But that's ancient history now. Trickled over the net. Stepping in over the table and accelerating through it. Deep into the forehand corner. I don't want to give Felix Lebrun backhand to backhand exchanges if you can help it. Let's find love. Even Wen Chuqin getting on with it in a hurry here. He's been sucked into this rat-a-tat pace of the match. You really see the difference in technique. In forehands in particular. The massive rotation that Wen Chuqin has. Look at the shoulders and Felix tends to. Tends to be more of an arm swing. He's got that right foot forward to prioritize the backhand. One, five. Good, isn't it? So good to see. They're just so comfortable on the balls of the feet. Rock'em, sock'em robots. Nice little fight back here. And it's Felix who's turned up today and not just. He knows the forehand has to be sharp. Got it. Fine. That's over 19 year old. He's playing with such good shape. That serve receive is really nice. He's done that twice now. Just dropping it short to the forehand. Making the world number one stretch for it. Watch for the step forward. Once he gets pushed back. There's a noticeable power difference on forehand to forehand. You need the tracer on this replay just to. Wen Chuqin was always on top. Always the aggressor. Yeah. Kick shot. Saw this a lot of the China smash as well. Wen Chuqin aiming the first attack into the crossover. Felix taking a big step back. And then it just opens up. He's got to try and not get forced back the Frenchman. But it's so difficult. When you have someone the caliber of Wen Chuqin up the other end. It's in a strong position in the second. Remember if you're just joining us here. It's the second of the semifinals here at Singapore Smash 2026. In the men's singles. Lin Renyu has already booked a place in this evening's final. Now one game down. But 8-4 up in the second. Wang Chuqin to serve. No flash please. Flash is still going. In four. There we go. In five. This was a gap that Felix would have known. That he had to fill the short topspin balls to the forehand. And it doesn't need to necessarily win him the point outright. It just needs to stop him losing them. Put him in a good enough position. So that you can then play the rally afterwards. They're going to start screaming for Felix to come within one of Chuqin. Protected the crossover with the backhand then. And suddenly a turnaround here. Suddenly Chuqin looking a little bit out of sorts. And this is sometimes where a packed crowd. All desperate for you to win. You can sometimes work your disadvantage. You hear the air getting sucked out of the room. Unsettling the Frenchman. Lift, lift, lift. Felix said. You knew he had to. Yeah, send it up higher. Further away from the table. You've got to lift it. Just wonder if another fast serve is gonna come from Wang Chuqin here. Oh again. Thing sits there for the push. And it just pops off a little bit long. It's such a difficult technique with the penhold grip. It's a harder technique than a shakehold. Two game points. A little bit of subtlety there. World number one. Really long arms and he extends at full length to just whip around the ball. Gets such impressive racket speed through it. But was always on the back foot. The next one's coming up the hip. It's coming up the right hip. It's coming up the crossover. Because Wang Chuqin knows even if it goes on. Felix has surrendered the table. These are dangerous times for the Frenchman now. Because Wang Chuqin is building up ahead of steam. Either way it's given Felix a way back in. Such a different game that Felix has to play. Consider how he played against Lin Shidong. And Lin Shidong obviously right-hander. But got stuck in a backhand to backhand battle. Oh it's just a little wobble from Chuqin here. It's clever. He's just mixing. I know that one missed. But mixing between long backhand and short forehand on the receives. When's he gonna learn? It's extremely difficult with the penhold grip. I mentioned it. It's just not finding its targets. Four now. He's missed. And that's the thing with a right-hander. You can't get that wide angle as much. Into Felix's short forehand off the side of the table. The spin. Look at the spin. Takes it off his shoelaces. This is a match where Wang Chuqin doesn't necessarily need to challenge Felix. For speed. For pure pace. Just mix location. Really spin the ball as best you can. To receive this serve. And the problem is if he attacks it with the backhand. Wang Chuqin is just there to maneuver him back to the other side of the table. Felix has found joy when he is able to touch it short to the forehand. It's crippling. Felix LeBrun. Such an innocuous shot. But it's been so productive. Nine, six. Needed that, Felix. But round the other side of the ball. Sent it wide forehand. I wonder if Wang Chuqin will send this one a little bit wider off the side of the table. Rather than middle. Misses. It's a two-point game. It's for the world number one. Now. For Chuqin. Again, it's the crossover. Two good serve receives here. Felix LeBrun. Felix tries to touch it back and then Wang Chuqin. Wang Chuqin, you know that he celebrates very infrequently. So when that right arm or left is raised, you know he knows what he likes. A laser beam into the crossover of Felix LeBrun. He's really dialed in, Chuqin. You could see that look there of Felix. He knows this is the moment. Control of this match. What a serve. Felix needs to just collect himself a little bit here. We've heard the shout, which is something he does quite often, to just try and get himself focused. He's got to find something soon. Power wins you matches, but placement wins you championships. And again, a long lingering look at the opponent. He's got him down. He's using. Wang Chuqin is just putting the ball into exactly the places that Felix just doesn't want it. Short forehand, or if not, it's getting drilled into your body. Wow, he needed that 8-1. Just when it looked as if he was unable to cope with the heat here in Singapore. How to rebuild. You can see how much Chuqin relishes this challenge. These are the moments he lives for. Yeah, he wants to be tested, pushed, challenged. Yeah, he knows everyone's trying to hunt him down. He knows it. Felix, Ugo, Trulls. They're all mentioning his name. He's got to do all he can to fight here. We saw a good fight from Trulls earlier on, but in vain ultimately. Credit where it's due. Well played. Kinza, Felix's backhand. You could just see a pace behind there. Out to the forehand was Felix. So four game points. Is it timeout called? Or was that game? Oh, he missed the point. It was 9-5 and they kept the score at 9-5. Like a fly that's caught in a spider web. He's got to protect that right hip. Felix, and he's got two choices. Use a shorter shot on the forehand, or you try and step to your right and play the backhand off it. He's trying to throw everything he has at him, but Chuchin is so good at getting into position quickly. He's just not engaging in big backhand, backhand or forehand, forehand. And when the chance comes, possible outcome. Wherever you're watching this from, it's another Wong Chuchin masterclass here. Timeout Felix. And there is the timeout now. When they're in a rally, it's just a laser that is hit. Longer serves might help because it will open up the rally. It at least alleviates you having to worry about short forehand. Good. Two in a row. Now he knows wherever this first serve goes to, Felix has to receive it, get out, and then anticipate it getting fired at his right hip. And he did it well then. You spin this time. Rolling the ball up. Chuchin had a difficult ball, didn't he there? So that's encouraging off the timeout. Yeah, the thing is, Wong Chuchin is likely to change location on his next one. Yeah, there you go. Size is what you do. And it's a game of I know, you know, I know. So he just mixes this one up this time. Just frying the youngster's brain. Nine times out of ten, Felix would have melted that ball with the backhand. But he's just been a little bit rushed on the service. And this is the pressure that the world number one puts you under. Oh, so good. Up goes the arm. Six and five. And this is where the crowd plays its part. Here they come. Felix did really well off the service, because it just crept off the edge of the table. Could have been forgiven for worrying about his hand here. Felix endures. He survives the onslaught. The smile on the face, because I think there were maybe two or three top edge mishits from Felix. You heard the sound a lot thinner. He apologizes immediately. But nothing to apologize about there, because it's a two. That was a faster attack. Straight into where Felix wants it. Into the backhand. Wanchu Chin's got to get back to being accurate. Hitting the crossover. With the fast serve at that time. Because, of course, with that grip, he can get so much action on the ball. You see what it did then. Anticipate onto the backhand. Good play, because he then shut down the Frenchman again. And he's serving, and he could serve his way to the final now. It's the placement. The hairpin and the wide forehand. Going nowhere near the backhand. He's the better of the servers at 54.1. Another one of these, and he'll be on the brink. I wonder if he'll serve with a little less spin short into the forehand. Last time he put lots of spin. Felix added it all back. Wanchu Chin. And he still serves.