A major upset at the WTT Finals! The world champion is eliminated, Harimoto Tomokazu advances, and China secures three spots in the quarterfinals.

On December 12th, Beijing time, the WTT Hong Kong Finals began. In the final round of the last 16, two prominent foreign players, Hugo and Lebrun, clashed. After an intense six-game fight, Hugo unexpectedly fell 2-4 to Lebrun, suffering an early exit, which was quite astonishing. This victory allowed Lebrun to claim the last ticket to the quarterfinals!

Hugo is ranked third in the world and has had a breakout season, winning the Macau World Cup and finishing runner-up at the Doha World Championships, becoming the top rival to the Chinese team. In this first round of the finals, he faced the young French rising star Lebrun, ranked sixth globally and also a strong competitor against China. Lebrun has previously defeated Hugo, indicating his playing style effectively counters Hugo’s.

In the first game, Hugo started aggressively, relentlessly attacking Lebrun and won 11-5 to take an early 1-0 lead. In the second game, Hugo extended his lead but suddenly collapsed, allowing Lebrun to fight back tenaciously and complete a dramatic 12-10 comeback to even the score 1-1. In the third game, Lebrun’s offensive momentum surged, crushing Hugo 11-6. The fourth game was intense; Hugo adjusted quickly and accelerated his scoring to win 11-8, leveling the match again. In the fifth game, the two battled fiercely with the score tied at 8-8 before Lebrun scored three consecutive points to win 11-8, gaining a match point at 3-2. In the sixth game, after a tough start, Lebrun unleashed a decisive run to pull away and upset Hugo 4-2, clinching the last quarterfinal spot!

Harimoto Tomokazu, Japan’s sole representative, defeated French veteran Simon 4-2 after a tough six-game match in the first round, securing a quarterfinal spot for Japan. With the quarterfinalists now set, China is the biggest winner with Wang Chuqin, Lin Shidong, and Xiang Peng all advancing. The French Lebrun brothers both reached the quarterfinals, while the remaining three spots went to Moregard, Harimoto, and Lin Yun-Ju. In the quarterfinals, Wang Chuqin will face the elder Lebrun, Moregard will play Lin Yun-Ju, and there will be a derby between Lin Shidong and Xiang Peng. We have already guaranteed at least one semifinal spot, while Harimoto faces immense pressure against Lebrun!