MUSCAT: World No. 7 Felix Lebrun from France defeated his brother and team-mate Alixes Lebrun, who ranked as World No.13, 4-3 in a thrilling final to clinch the title of Men’s singles of WTT Star Contender Muscat 2025 on Saturday night and mark his second title for this season. At Main indoor hall of Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Felix commenced the match with a strong start as he ended the three first sets for him before Alixes bounced back and brought the match to the origin point. In the deciding set, Felix managed to win the set and sealed the victory. The scoreline ended at: (11-8, 11-8, 11-4, 5-11, 13-15, 10-12, 11-6).
Speaking after the podium ceremony, Felix said:” It was very tough match. Alixes did not give up during the match. He played better and better after the third set. I am happy to win this title and it was a great tournament. Now, I am focusing in my upcoming event as I am travelling to Chinese Taipei. I will keep the momentum high to win more titles in the upcoming events,” he concluded
On the other hand, Alixes expressed his disappointment that he lost the deciding set. “ I managed to return the match as it was a very tight encounter. I started after 3-0 loss but I disappointed that I lost the last set after a 3-3 draw. In overall, I made very top performance during the event and I am looking for the future to do much more better in the forthcoming events,” he ended
KIHARA WOMEN’S SINGLES CHAMPIONS
In the Women’s Singles final, Japan’s Miu Kihara delivered a strong 4-1 victory over Korea’s Joo Seohyung. Korea continued its success in the Men’s Doubles where Lim and Oh Jonseong secured the title with a 3-0 win over Singapore’s Pang and Quek Izaac. In Women’s Doubles, Japan’s Satsuki and Sakura emerged champions after edging Korea’s Kim and Joo in a tight 3-2 match. Japan also claimed gold in Mixed Doubles as the duo Satoshi and Haitomi defeated Chinese Taipei’s Lin and Cheng 3–0.
The six days championship concluded after it brought together nearly 300 athletes from 32 countries, competing for a total prize purse of $300,000. Organised by the Oman Table Tennis Association (OTTA) in partnership with World Table Tennis (WTT) and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), the event featured participants from around the world.
The chief guest, Basil bin Ahmed al Rawas, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Sports and Youth, delivered the trophies and awards to the top winners in the Men’s and Women’s singles categories. The participated players delivered high-intensity action in the tournament starting from the preliminary stages through to the main draw, with top global players battling fiercely for ranking points and international glory.
Abdullah BaMakhalaf, OTTA Chairman, expressed immense pride in Oman’s successful staging of its first-ever Star Contender. “This event marked a new milestone for Oman. Hosting more than 300 international players from 32 countries, along with global media broadcasting across 15 TV channels, reflects the Sultanate of Oman’s growing status as a world-class host for major sporting events. Oman will host another international event in January represented by WTT Contender and will again welcome the WTT Star Contender in November 2026,” he said
French Ambassador to Oman Nabil HAJLAOUI praised the exceptional performance of the Lebrun brothers. “The final showcased world-class quality. Their presence here and the French victory coincide beautifully with Oman’s National Day celebrations, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Omani leadership and people,” he stated.
Oman National Team head coach Omid Shams Shahbabaki said that the event provided valuable exposure for Omani players, who competed in both singles and doubles. “This tournament offered them direct experience against some of the world’s best athletes, helping them develop technical skills and confidence for future international competitions,” he said.
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