Nigeria table tennis star Quadri Aruna will face Chinese youngster and world No. 58 Feng Yi-Hsin in round 32 of the maiden WTT Contender Chennai in India. Yi-Hsin emerged as Aruna’s opponent after beating Belgium’s Adrien Rassenfosse 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-9) in just 20 minutes during their round of 64 clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium.
Aruna is among the top men’s singles players in the event and was drawn into the round of 32. He will now face a tricky test against the 22-year-old Yi-Hsin. The Nigerian entered the competition as a replacement for German star Dimitrij Ovtcharov.
The world number 18 and his African rival, Egypt’s Omar Assar, were confirmed for the $275,000 tournament last week. Aruna has played in two WTT events this year, making it as far as the semi-finals in the WTT Star Contender in Doha, where he lost in straight sets to Japanese sensation Tomokazu Harimoto.
Aruna will hope to put up a more commanding show in India, as he hopes to improve on his second-round finish in 2024 with another strong performance in India for a share of the $275,000 prize pool.
Meanwhile, Nigeria-born Italian national champion John Oyebode didn’t make it into the main draw despite his brilliant start in the qualifying round. He was ousted 3-1 (11-13, 12-10, 13-11, 11-6) by homeboy Manush Shah in the final qualifying round.
WTT Executive Director of Events Mounir Bessah noted that the competition is a bold step forward as they expect Aruna and other players to deliver a memorable spectacle. “Chennai’s inclusion in the WTT Series calendar underscores our mission to expand the reach of table tennis globally while honouring the sport’s passionate fanbase in India.”
The WTT Contender Chennai is the fifth WTT event of the year and marks the first staging of the series in the City. The tournament promises to be an exciting one, with top players from around the world competing for the top prize.
Aruna’s match against Yi-Hsin will be a highly anticipated one, and fans will be eagerly waiting to see how the Nigerian star performs against his Chinese opponent. With his experience and skill, Aruna will be looking to make a deep run in the tournament and bring home a share of the prize money.