Félix Lebrun captured his first European table tennis singles championship on Sunday, October 18, defeating Sweden’s Anton Kallberg 4-3 in a hard-fought final in Ljubljana, Slovenia, as reported by la-croix.com. The 20-year-old world No. 2 added the continental crown to a rapidly expanding résumé that already includes two Olympic bronze medals.

A Seven-Game Marathon Against Kallberg

The final went the distance at the Slovenian venue, with Lebrun prevailing 7-11, 11-9, 13-11, 8-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-1 in the decisive seventh game, known in the sport as the belle. The victory marked a major milestone for the Montpellier native, who is currently eyeing the world No. 1 ranking before the end of the season.

Reflecting on the achievement, Lebrun told the French Table Tennis Federation, It’s a dream for a table tennis player, a great accomplishment. His coach, Nathanaël Molin, pointed to the physical and mental demands of the tournament, describing it as a competition that took place in difficulty and pain, which makes it even more magnificent at the end.

Joining an Elite Group of French Champions

With this title, Lebrun follows in the footsteps of his older brother, Alexis Lebrun, who won the European championship two years prior in Linz, Austria. Félix also joins an exclusive club of French male singles champions at the European level, alongside Jacques Secrétin, who won in 1976, and Emmanuel Lebesson, who triumphed in 2016.

Alexis Lebrun entered this year’s tournament as the double defending champion in both singles and doubles, but his run ended in the quarterfinals against Germany’s Dang Qiu. Two years earlier, Félix had also exited at the quarterfinal stage in a match marked by frustration and a red card for throwing a racket. I haven’t yet managed to perform (at the European Championships) the way I’d like to, he said prior to the Ljubljana event.

Continuing a Historic Run

Returning to international action following a late-summer injury and a stint in China, Lebrun won his matches with composure. His toughest test before the final came against world No. 18 Patrick Franziska of Germany.

The European gold complements a portfolio that includes singles and team bronze medals from the Olympic Games, team silver and double bronze medals from the World Championships, European team and doubles titles, multiple French national championships, and a victory at the Swedish Smash earlier in the summer.