Ovtcharov takes a drama suit against a table tennis prodigy
What a drama for Dimitrij Ovtcharov: The German table tennis star finds himself 0:3 down against French prodigy Felix Lebrun, fights back, and levels the score. But in the decisive game, the 17-year-old turns on the heat and advances to the Olympic quarterfinals.
Once again, Dimitrij Ovtcharov is the central figure in a grand Olympic table tennis spectacle, and once again, he is the vanquished. Three years after his semifinal loss to Chinese legend Ma Long, one of the greatest matches ever played, the German star falls in Paris to French prodigy Felix Lebrun in seven thrilling games. Ovtcharov finds himself 0:3 down, rallies to tie, but ultimately falls short against the 17-year-old's fierce play.
From the start, the crowd roared for their favorite, singing the "Marseillaise" and cheering "Felix!" even France's football legend Zinedine Zidane was in the stands. The former European champion Ovtcharov seemed awestruck. His body language was less aggressive than usual. In the second game, the German squandered two set balls and lost 13:15.
In the third, he blew a 5:1 lead, and in the fourth, a 6:0 advantage was just enough for his first set win (11:8). Ovtcharov was now in his element, dominating his young opponent in the fifth and sixth games. But in the deciding game, the 17-year-old Frenchman kept his nerves, winning 11:7 and sending the fans into a frenzy.
After a thrilling match, Dimitrij Ovtcharov's loss to Felix Lebrun marked another memorable Olympic table tennis spectacle. Despite fighting back from a 0:3 deficit, Ovtcharov's effort was not enough to secure his place in the semifinals, once again falling short in a dramatic contest.
