Table tennis has always been China's "national sport", and in the past few decades, the Chinese team has been invincible in the international arena and can be described as famous. But in recent years, with the rapid development of players from other European and Asian countries, the dominance of the Chinese team has also been challenged like never before.
Recently, a new star has shone on the international table tennis scene, and he is the French teenager Lebrun. The 23-year-old rookie, with his excellent performance, hit the fifth position in the world in a short period of time, and locked the goal of chasing Chinese stars Tomokazu Zhang and Ma Long. Let's take a look at the exciting performance of this rising star!
Lebrun is undoubtedly one of the brightest rising stars in table tennis today. Despite his young age, he has already achieved impressive results in several international competitions. Last year's World Cup was a dazzling stage for him. In that high-profile World Cup match, Lebrun fully demonstrated his unrivalled strength and talent.
He made his way through the hurdles, beating a number of top players and clearing all obstacles to the final. In the final, although he finally lost to the Chinese star Ma Long with an aggregate score of 3:4, he won the applause and applause of the audience in the process. The runner-up finish was certainly remarkable, but more importantly, Lebrun was just one step away from reaching the top of the World Cup, showing his potential to break through quickly.
If last year's World Cup was the stage for Lebrun to shine, this year's Qatar Open was the moment for him to fully assert himself. In this highly regarded international premier competition, Lebrun has fully demonstrated his incredible form. With a succession of outstanding performances, Lebrun has now become the fifth best player in the world. For the French star, the future is promising.
Lebrun has been able to make a name for himself on the international stage in recent years, thanks in large part to his ability to adapt on the spot. On the field, he seems to have been born with a unique insight and anticipation, able to catch all changes in his opponent at any time and react with unmistakable accuracy.
If you look at Lebrun's performance on the field, you will see that his attacking moments are full of charm and tension. His pace is clean and neat, and the power is distributed reasonably on the paddle, and he is as sharp as lightning when serving, and smooth when rubbing the paddle. Even against a top player who is so strong that he can attack with ease, he can win almost without blood.
But what is even more impressive is Lebrun's tenacity and agility on the defensive end. Once on the defensive, he was as fierce as a different person, like a well-fed tiger waking up. He sometimes responds with a backhand hook arc round pot, sometimes stretches his waist and makes a false move, and his body is vigorous and chic, like a hovering swimming fish showing off his might in the water.
In particular, his backhand is extremely accurate, often making opponents overstretched and unguardable. However, even Lebrun himself knows very well that it is not enough to rely solely on on-the-spot performance, and in order to truly challenge table tennis giants such as Zhang Benzhi and Ma Long, they need to excel in other aspects.
With Zhang's excellent serve and tenacity, and Ma Long's years of experience and tactical acumen, both of them are enough to pose Lebrun's biggest challenge to the world No. 1 title. Therefore, Lebrun must make greater efforts in the preparation of future competitions and improve himself in an all-round way in order to hope for promotion to a generation of football kings.
First of all, Lebrun frankly admits that in today's table tennis arena, only two Chinese players, Zhang Benzhi and Ma Long, are worthy of his full pursuit and surpassing. This is not only an affirmation of the strength of the two champions, but also reveals Lebrun's confidence in his own ability. As a French youngster, he is so straightforward in targeting two of China's biggest stars, which shows that he has great ambition and courage.
However, Lebrun does not completely equate Zhang Benzhi with Ma Long. In his opinion, Zhang Benzhi is undoubtedly the number one superstar in today's table tennis world, with strong strength and excellent quality, and is the opponent he should focus on chasing. In contrast, although Malone is also a generation of football kings, in Lebrun's opinion, his style of play still has certain flaws and shortcomings.
Specifically, Lebrun pointed out that Malone still needs to be strengthened in terms of forehand attack. Despite Malone's tenacious forehand twister and ferocious spinning ball, Lebrun believes that Malone's approach is too one-dimensional and blunt, lacking diversity and innovation. If Malone can improve and innovate on the forehand offense, he will become more well-rounded and invincible.
It can be said that this straightforward comment not only shows Lebrun's confidence in himself, but also reflects his high regard and awe for the strong players in the table tennis world. As a young star who has the courage to challenge, Lebrun knows exactly how strong his opponent is, which is why he is so careful to analyze his opponent's strengths and weaknesses in order to formulate a more precise response.
Such a straightforward comment may feel a little aggressive, but it is undeniable that it reveals Lebrun's love for table tennis, respect for his opponents, and his constant pursuit and transcendence. It is this perseverance and determination that has allowed him to stand out and become a strong contender for a new generation of table tennis stars.
The rise of Lebrun has undoubtedly injected new vitality into the table tennis world. For a long time, the Chinese team has been dominant, and the players are often accustomed to attacking and constantly attacking style of play. However, the arrival of Lebrun has shown everyone a European-style flexible and comfortable style of play, which pays more attention to on-the-spot adaptability and tactical deployment.
I think the key to Lebrun's eventual rise to world No. 1 will depend on whether he can maintain his current form and be mentally prepared. After all, it's not easy to challenge superstars like Zhang Benzhi and Ma Long. He must always be highly focused, and must not lose his way in the momentary pride and complacency.
On the other hand, the coaches of the Chinese team should also be humble to learn from the strengths of European players such as Lebrun so as to optimize their tactical play, rather than blindly sticking to the old training model. Only in this way can the Chinese team maintain its advantage in future games and continue its glory. The rise of Lebrun has brought new blood to table tennis and made the sport more dynamic. I sincerely hope that he will persevere and finally realize his dream!