Ying HAN of Germany and Alexis LEBRUN of France claimed the titles at the 2025 CCB Europe Top 16 Cup in Montreux, emerging victorious after two thrilling finals. HAN overcame Romania’s Elizabeta SAMARA in the women’s event, while LEBRUN dethroned Slovenia’s Darko JORGIC in the men’s final. This victory marks HAN’s third title at the prestigious event, while LEBRUN secured his first.
In the women’s event, semifinalists were Germany’s Xiaona SHAN and Sabine WINTER. In the men’s competition, Truls MOREGARD of Sweden and Patrick FRANZISKA of Germany were halted at the penultimate stage.
FINAL
Alexis LEBRUN of France – Darko JORGIC of Slovenia 3-1 (11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 11-9)
Alexis LEBRUN ended Darko JORGIC’s impressive reign after three consecutive titles, though the Slovenian champion didn’t give up his crown easily. In a fiercely contested match, both players pushed each other to the limit, showing the very best of table tennis to a fully packed Omnisports venue in Montreux.
For his victory, alongside the silver trophy, LEBRUN received a standing ovation from the 1,800-strong crowd, who celebrated his triumph by singing La Marseillaise after the match.
“Playing against Darko in Montreux is incredibly tough. He has delivered outstanding performances here year after year, so I knew I had to beat the king,” LEBRUN said after the match. “I had a tough draw, but I played a great tournament, and I’m really happy I succeeded.”
The final was packed with electrifying rallies and lightning-fast exchanges, keeping spectators on the edge of their seats.
“His service was exceptional today. He also managed to block my topspin on several occasions, forcing me to adjust my positioning and forehand placement to break through his defense,” LEBRUN explained.
Reflecting on his journey in Montreux, LEBRUN acknowledged the tournament’s challenges:
“It’s not easy to maintain the same level throughout. There are no easy rounds here—you face the best in every match. Winning one game is tough, but winning four in a row is incredibly hard. I managed it once at the European Championships in Linz, and now I’ve done it again here. I’m so happy.”
Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania – Ying HAN of Germany 2-3 (6-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8, 4-11)
Ying HAN retained her unbeaten status in Montreux, capturing the crown after a breathtaking final in the women’s event against Elizabeta SAMARA.
HAN, who was unable to defend her title in 2024 (from 2022 and 2023) due to a torn Achilles tendon, made a remarkable comeback at the 2025 edition. The world-class defensive specialist returned to Montreux in outstanding form, marking her return to competition after a one-year hiatus with a truly dominant performance.
After impressive victories over Portugal’s Fu YU and Jieni SHAO, HAN carried her confidence into the semifinals, where she defeated fellow German Sabine WINTER. In the final, she faced a fierce challenge from SAMARA.
The first two games went in HAN’s favor, showing her trademark defensive brilliance. However, SAMARA remained patient and fought back, leveling the match at 2-2 with her relentless attacks. In the decisive fifth game, HAN withstood the pressure, demonstrating her resilience and sealing the victory in spectacular style.
Overjoyed after her victory, HAN reflected:
“It was an incredibly tough match. SAMARA kept getting better and played very cleverly tactically. I attacked well early on, but in the third and fourth games, she turned that into her own points. I tried to stay calm and focus more on my defense—and it worked. Now, I’m just overjoyed.”
SEMIFINALS
Xiaona SHAN of Germany – Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania 1-3 (11-9, 10-12, 8-11, 3-11)
Elizabeta SAMARA’s 15th appearance at the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup turned out to be her most successful yet. After securing third place in 2018, the Romanian star surpassed her previous best and reached the final today.
Xiaona SHAN, who impressively defeated top seed Bernadette SZOCS in the previous round, struggled to find answers against SAMARA’s sharp and consistent play.
“It’s always difficult to play against Nana. She’s strong against left-handers, but I remember the last match we played—she was leading 7-0, but I still managed to win. Last year at the WTT Champions, I was down 0-2 and trailing 6-10 in the fifth game, but I came back to win 13-11. That’s why I expected a long match today, and I wasn’t shaken after losing the opening game. I was leading most of that game, so I still felt in control,” SAMARA explained.
“I’m really happy with my performance. Honestly, when I arrived here, my main goal was just to avoid losing in the opening round and take it match by match. Everyone wants to win here, but I don’t feel any extra pressure,” she added.
Despite defeat Xiaona SHAN maintained high spirits.
“That was a big opportunity for me in the second game. The missed serve cost me the 2-0 lead and probably the entire match. But I also have to admit that SAMARA played very well today, using a lot of clever tempo changes that caused me problems. On the bright side, I take home third place and, more importantly, the realization that after my long injury, I was finally able to play a really strong tournament again.”
Ying HAN of Germany – Sabine WINTER of Germany 3-1 (8-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-9)
The duel between two German player went according to seedings. Ying HAN halted Sabine WINTER’s brave run from the qualifications to book her place in the final.
“I just wanted to enjoy the match and the atmosphere today, no matter the outcome. Winning, of course, makes it even better. But Sabine also played a very strong tournament,” stated Ying HAN.
Sabine WINTER said: “I usually perform well against defensive players, so I believed I had a good chance today. But Ying played exceptionally well and adjusted her tactics compared to our previous encounters. In the end, it was a good tournament for me. It also confirmed that my decision to try the anti-topspin rubber wasn’t completely wrong—though I still have a lot to learn. I’m sure this result will have surprised some of the critics of that choice.”
Patrick FRANZISKA of Germany – Alexis LEBRUN of France 1-3 (8-11, 5-11, 11-9, 10-12)
After defeating Felix LEBRUN yesterday, Patrick FRANZISKA faced an even tougher challenge today as Alexis LEBRUN proved too strong to overcome. Despite FRANZISKA’s relentless attacks, there were no weaknesses in the older LEBRUN brother’s armor during the first two games.
FRANZISKA continued to take risks, and his bold strategy finally paid off in the third game, where he edged ahead. He maintained immense pressure on Alexis in the fourth game, pushing the match to its limit, but LEBRUN closed it out in superb style to secure his victory.
“I’m super happy. I hadn’t beaten Patrick FRANZISKA before—he beat me three times in the past. I’m really pleased with my performance today against a player who has caused me a lot of problems,” said LEBRUN.
“I delivered a solid performance in all areas of my game. Even when I started to doubt myself, I found solutions and stayed focused, so I’m really happy. Now, I just need a little nap and some preparation for the final. I don’t know yet who I’ll be facing, but it will be equally tough. Darko has won here three times, so it would be amazing to play against him on what feels like his home turf. But Truls is a phenomenal player too… Whoever I face, it will be a huge match.”
“Compared to my matches in the first two rounds, I was missing those crucial two percent today. These are exactly the moments where you hesitate for a fraction of a second or make the wrong decision. At 10:9, I should have taken Alexis’ long return to the middle with my backhand, but I went for the forehand—and immediately got the ball smashed past me. Still, all my matches were played at an incredibly high level, so I can be really satisfied. Also, considering the tournament seeding wasn’t based on world rankings, I had a very tough draw,” explained Patrick FRANZISKA.
Darko JORGIC of Slovenia – Truls MOREGARD of Sweden 3-1 (12-10, 3-11, 11-7, 16-14)
Darko JORGIC delivered on his promise, raising his game once again to overcome the brilliance and unpredictability of Truls MOREGAARD—a player whose creativity at the table is hard to match. JORGIC kept a cool head during the nerve-wracking moments of the game and secured a hard-fought victory, converting his fifth match point into triumph.
“We know each other very well—you could see that from the nature of the rallies. There weren’t many long exchanges; it was all about service and return,” JORGIC explained. “I was a little bit lucky at the end of the first game. I could sense that Truls was nervous—it showed in his game. I knew I had to stay calm and not allow any panic or hysteria to creep in, even though I was fully aware he could hit a shot that no one expects and no one can prepare for.”
Reflecting on a critical moment in the match, JORGIC added, “At my match point at 14-13, he hit an outstanding backhand down the line. It was incredible.”
