Wels TT youngster

First tumor removed, then European champion defeated!

Felix Wetzel (l.) sensationally defeated European champion Alexis Lebrun(Bild: Oliver Gaisbauer)

What a Christmas fairytale for table tennis youngster Felix Wetzel! In the Champions League duel between Wels and Nimes/Montpellier, the 22-year-old sensationally defeated European champion Alexis Lebrun - in only his second match after having a tumor removed. 

"The cell phone is still ringing all the time," grinned Felix Wetzel on Monday. The table tennis coup of the youngster from Felbermayr Wels, who sensationally defeated European champion Alexis Lebrun 3:2 after trailing 0:2 in the Champions League round of 16 against Montpellier the day before, is making waves. Austria's icon Werner Schlager, who coaches him, also congratulated him. "He was very happy, even if there's still a lot to improve in my game," says the Bavarian Wetzel, who plays for Malta! "I could have got Austrian citizenship, but then I would have had to move to Vienna and train in Stockerau," explains Felix.

The Lebrun brothers won gold in the doubles at the European Championships in the fall - and Alexis did the same in the singles.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Tumor in knee removed
In 2022, Wetzel moved from Wr. Neustadt to Wels, whose father Thomas is a renowned coach and internationally networked expert who runs the TopSpin TT Center in Bad Aibling. The son's coup in the final 1:3 and out of the Wels team in the premier class is all the more remarkable as it was only his second match after his comeback following the first leg in France (0:3). In August, he had a benign tumor removed from his knee, which was located on the cruciate ligament.

European champion apologized
And now Felix pulled off the big coup, after which the French team wanted to retire early at 2:1 in matches due to controversial refereeing decisions - but then finished the match after long discussions. "Alexis apologized to me afterwards," says Wetzel, for whom Christmas came early this year: "The fact that I beat the European champion is a wonderful gift."