Two of the top table tennis players from Nigeria and Brazil, Quadri Aruna and Hugo Calderano, will square off in the second round of the men’s singles at the WTT Singapore Smash 2025, reigniting their fierce rivalry.
In what seems to be an exciting battle between continental champions, the Nigerian star will take on the Brazilian sensation exactly one year after their last meeting at the 2024 WTT Finals in Doha.
Calderano has won two of their last three meetings, giving him a small advantage. But after winning their most recent game in Doha, Aruna has the psychological edge.
After a fierce battle, Aruna defeated Oh Jungsun of South Korea 3-1 to start his Singapore Smash 2025 campaign.
Even though they lost the first game 8–11, the Nigerian won the second game 11–8. Even though the third game was hotly contested, Aruna won 11–9 thanks to her quick shots during the rally.
Aruna grabbed control at 4-4 in the fourth game, scoring six points to take a 10-4 lead. The Korean rallied back to 10-7, but Aruna won 3-1 with an 11-7 final, moving on to the second round to take against Calderano.
On his part, Calderano dominated Portugal’s Marcos Freitas with a swift 3-0 win in the first round, securing his spot in the second round, where he will battle the African champion on Tuesday, February 4.
Omar Assar, Mohamed El-Beiali, and Youssef Abdelaziz of Egypt have all left, leaving Aruna as the sole African still competing in the men’s singles.
In the women’s singles, Hana Goda of Egypt defeated Maria Xiao of Spain in the first round to mark her 17th birthday.
Goda was aiming for her first-ever singles victory on this esteemed platform as she competed in her fifth WTT Grand Smash event.
When Goda first faced Xiao, the Spaniard gained the lead early on. However, Goda rallied to win 7-11, 13-11, 11-5, and 12-10, achieving yet another significant victory in her nascent career.
But Goda was the only African left in the Women’s Singles after her countrymen Dina Meshref and Mariam Alhodaby were eliminated in the first round. In the second round, Goda will take on Ma Kuai of China in an attempt to prolong her stay in Doha.