Simon Gauzy loses in five sets

Simon Gauzy was defeated in the quarterfinals of the WTT Champions in Montpellier on Friday, despite having previously beaten world number three Tomokazu Harimoto in the earlier round. The loss ended his hopes of progressing further in the tournament.

Gauzy faces familiar opponent

Gauzy had faced Jingkun Liang six times before, losing all of them. However, this time he managed to win the first two sets with scores of 11-9 and 11-9, showing strong performance against a player he had struggled against in the past.

Match extends to five sets

The match eventually went to a fifth set as Liang fought back after Gauzy had taken a commanding lead in the fourth set. Gauzy was leading 5-1, then 6-2, and 7-3, but his service failed him, and he lost the set 5-0, allowing Liang to take control.

Decisive fifth set decides the match

In the fifth set, Liang took an early 5-0 lead. Gauzy fought back to 8-9 but could not close the gap. A backhand shot that touched the edge of the table fell on the edge of the table, sealing the victory for Liang with a final score of 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 10-12, 8-11.

Gauzy reflects on the defeat

After the match, Gauzy expressed his frustration, calling it a great match against an exceptional player but acknowledging that he could not secure the win. The match lasted 48 minutes and was described as one of wild intensity.