Grand Smash China: Félix Lebrun reaches the quarterfinals

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Grand Smash China: Félix Lebrun reaches the quarterfinals.

You read that right: Félix Lebrun has survived the round of 16 at the Grand Smash in China and advanced to the quarterfinals. Against the Croatian Tomislav Pucar, the Frenchman won on Thursday, October 8, 2026, in three sets. What sounds like a relaxed outing was at times tighter than the tournament's number 1 had likely planned.

According to Ouest-France, the match finished 11:9, 12:10, and 10:5. L'Équipe, by contrast, reports 11:9, 12:10, and 11:5. Both sources agree on the first two sets – but not on the third. In modern table tennis, a set normally ends at eleven points with a two-point lead, which makes the 11:5 version the more plausible result on the sporting merits. Officially, however, neither figure is confirmed within these sources.

"The hierarchy was respected, even though the Frenchman was pushed around in the first two games."

Who was the opponent – and what's next?

Pucar is ranked 30th in the world, according to L'Équipe, and went into the match as a clear underdog. The fact that he managed to keep the first two sets open is read by L'Équipe as proof that the hierarchy was respected – but not handed over. Who awaits Lebrun in the quarterfinals was still unclear at the time of reporting. According to L'Équipe, the match was broadcast live on TV and on L'Équipe live.