Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna continued his dominant display at the 2025 ITTF World Championships with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Germany’s Benedikt Duda, securing his place in the fourth round of the men’s singles event in Doha, Qatar.
Aruna, the only African remaining in the men’s singles at the tournament, cruised to a well-deserved victory against the left-handed German, sealing the win with scores of 11-9, 4-11, 11-8, 2-11, 12-10, 11-9 at the Lusail Hall on Tuesday.
Despite trailing 1-2 in their previous head-to-head encounters, Aruna rose to the occasion in a match filled with fast-paced rallies and crowd-pleasing exchanges. He opened strongly, taking the first set 11-9, but Duda responded with a dominant 11-4 win in the second.
The 36-year-old adjusted his tactics in the third set, targeting Duda’s forehand and regaining control with an 11-8 win. A controversial service fault call at 2-2 in the fourth set appeared to rattle the Nigerian, who dropped the game 11-2.
However, the Nigerian showcased remarkable composure and resilience in the fifth set. Trailing 3-9, he mounted a stunning comeback to level at 9-9 and eventually clinched the set 12-10. That momentum carried into the sixth, where Aruna’s confidence soared. With powerful forehand loops and precise shot placement, he closed out the match 11-9 to seal victory.
Aruna remains Africa’s last hope in the singles events and is set to compete in the third round on Thursday, 22 May at Lusail Arena in Doha.
Meanwhile, Tunisia’s Wassim Essid was knocked out of the 2025 ITTF World Championships by Brazilian Hugo Calderano, who secured a 4-0 win, with scores of 11-5, 11-3, 11-5, 11-4.
