Alexis Lebrun and Jianan Yuan will lead the French delegation to the Durban World Championships

The French delegation will begin the Individual World Championships in Durban (May 20-28), in South Africa, with two players ranked in the world top 20: Alexis Lebrun19, No. 19 for men, and Jianan Yuan, 38, No. 17, for women.

If the French are not among the favorites of the competition, the feat is possible, for a first world medal since the bronze of the double Jean-Philippe Gatien – Damien Eloi in 1997 in Manchester.

In addition to the eldest of the Lebrun brothers, four other tricolors will take their first steps in the Individual World Championship: Félix Lebrun, 16 years old (n ° 35), Prithika Pavade, 19 years old (n ° 85), Camille Lutz, 20 years old (n °96) and his sister Charlotte, 18 (153rd).

French champion Audrey Zarif, 24 years old (n°99) completes the selection, made public by the Federation this Friday, in singles. She will be ociated with Charlotte Lutz in doubles, like Prithika Pavade continuing her duet with Camille Lutz.

Gauzy and Akkuzu of the trip

Among the men, Simon Gauzy, 28 (n°36) and Can Akkuzu, 25 (n°52) will also be on the trip to compete in the singles. The Lebrun brothers, European bronze medalists last summer, will be double partners.

Emmanuel Lebesson will be aligned in men’s doubles, with Akkuzu, and mixed, with Jianan Yuan. The Lebesson-Yuan pair is currently 4th in the world. The second mixed doubles will consist of Simon Gauzy and Prithika Pavade. The challenge goes beyond the framework of the Worlds in this discipline, since only one mixed doubles can be qualified for the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, and must include a player and a player already selected in the team event.