Duda laments the absence of the lucrative gold-buying frenzy
In the table tennis EM in Linz, Benedikt Duda came up short in the title race after an impressive run, but secured his biggest personal victory yet with a second-place finish. In the final, the 30-year-old left-hander from TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt fell 0:4 (5:11, 8:11, 6:11, 2:11) to the 21-year-old Frenchman Alexis Lebrun.
"I'm incredibly proud of myself," said Duda: "I played really well here. I would have loved to go one step further, but Alexis was just too good today." His opponent was "spot on" in the final: "He always had a response, studied me closely and outplayed me."
Prior to that, Duda had bested Felix Lebrun, two years his junior and a two-time bronze medalist, in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Duda defeated two-time European champion Dimitrij Ovtcharov 4:2 in a German duel. However, a German winning streak was then snapped, as Timo Boll (2018, 2021) and Dang Qiu (2022) had previously clinched the EM titles. For the first time in 13 tournaments, the European singles champion does not hail from Germany.
Before his successful performances in Upper Austria, Duda had often found himself in the shadow of the German top players Boll and Ovtcharov. His most notable achievements came in team events: he won EM gold with the national team in 2021 and WM silver in 2022.
After his surprise win against Ovtcharov, Duda had vowed to "kick it up a notch" in the final. However, Alexis Lebrun, who along with his brother Felix had also clinched the EM title in doubles, gave Duda fits with powerful serves throughout the contest. The Frenchman seized control from the get-go and sealed the deal with his second match point.
Duda reflected on the European Championships, stating, "It's a shame I didn't win the title, but participating in the European Championships was an unforgettable experience." Despite his best efforts, he acknowledged, "Alexis Lebrun was the better player in the final, and he deserved to win."
