Gauzy beats Harimoto to advance in Montpellier
· BehindLines newsroom
Simon Gauzy won his opening match at WTT Champions Montpellier against Tomokazu Harimoto. The Frenchman prevailed by three games to nil against the Japanese player, described as world number 3 by the French table tennis federation and Media365. Gauzy remains in contention, while several other French players have left the tournament.
A win whose significance Gauzy recognizes
In comments gathered by L'Équipe and carried by Media365 on Orange Sports, Gauzy explains that he was able to impose his game throughout the match. He places particular importance on winning the opening game and on the spectators' support.
The player describes a hall so loud that he had to move closer to his coach to understand the instructions. This account reflects his experience of the match; it cannot isolate and measure the crowd's effect on the result. Media365 also notes that he had never previously beaten Harimoto. Match account and the player's comments.
Mixed fortunes for France
The French federation's account distinguishes Gauzy's progress from the exits of Alexis Lebrun, Prithika Pavade and Jianan Yuan. Lebrun lost to Patrick Franziska after winning the first two games. Pavade was beaten by Hitomi Sato, and Yuan by Sabine Winter.
Flavien Coton had also lost in five games to Jang Woojin after taking the lead at the beginning of the match. Gauzy's success therefore does not sum up the French delegation's whole day. FFTT round-up.
An opening round, not a title
This result gives Gauzy a place in the next stage of the competition. It remains an early-round qualification: it determines neither his actual next opponent nor the final standings. To follow Montpellier, the useful next reference is the Frenchman's next match, with the schedule checked again before it is presented as definitive.