The Nigerian star fell to Brazil’s Hugo Calderano in a one-sided Men’s Singles match at the Lusail Arena.

Touted as one of the tournament’s highlights, the clash failed to deliver drama, with Calderano asserting dominance from the very first point.

The Brazilian secured a commanding 4-0 win (11-4, 11-4, 11-4, 11-6), comfortably booking his place in the quarter-finals.

Calderano, tactically sharp, nullified Aruna’s powerful forehand by forcing him into backhand rallies, where the Nigerian proved less effective.

In spite of guidance and encouragement from his coaches, Aruna failed to find his rhythm, committing numerous unforced errors throughout the match.

The 22-minute encounter showcased Calderano’s sharp technique and explosive topspin strokes.

In spite of the result, Aruna continues to break new ground.

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At 36, he remains an icon of African table tennis.

He is now the first African to reach the ITTF World Championships Round of 16 on two occasions.

In Doha, Aruna was also the only African to finish among the top 16 players in the Men’s Singles.

After the match, Calderano praised Aruna’s quality and the challenge he presents at the top level.

Calderano said, “It’s difficult to maintain form after winning the ITTF World Cup last month.

“I needed rest, but returned focused. Against someone like Aruna, you must always bring your best game.”

Though his campaign ends in Doha, Aruna’s achievements continue to inspire across Nigeria and the African continent.

Source: NAN

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They will clash in the fourth round of the Men’s Singles at Lusail Arena, promising another high-stakes encounter between two continental table tennis icons.

Aruna and Calderano have earned legendary status through consistent global performances and their trademark never-say-die attitude at the table.

Both made history at the Rio 2016 Olympics, becoming the first from their continents to reach the men’s singles quarterfinals.

Since then, they have amassed multiple continental titles and broken into the ITTF world top 10.

Calderano is currently in superb form, arguably the best of his career.

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He recently won the 2025 ITTF World Cup in Macao, beating China’s top seeds, Wang Chuqin and Liang Jingkun.

That victory made Calderano the first South American to claim the prestigious World Cup title.

Aruna’s Doha campaign began with a dominant 4-0 win over Victor Ishiy, Calderano’s Brazilian compatriot.

He followed that with a thrilling 4-2 win against Norwegian left-hander Borgar Haug.

In the third round, Aruna defeated Germany’s Benedikt Duda 4-2 on Tuesday.

Calderano, like Aruna, started strong with a 4-1 win over Mexico’s Rogelio Castro.

He then cruised past Tunisia’s 2024 African Youth Champion, Wassim Essid, with a commanding 4-0 performance.

However, Kazakhstan’s Kirill Gerassimenko tested him in the third round.

Down 0-2, Calderano made key adjustments and fought back to win 4-2, booking a date with Aruna.

Speaking before the match, Calderano praised Aruna’s strength and tenacity.

He said, “Yeah, definitely Aruna is a very strong player. He’s been in the top 10 before, and everybody knows him.

“I will be ready for a big fight because he’s also a fighter, so it’s going to be very exciting.”

Source: NAN

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Aruna gained points in his quarter final finish at the World Table-Tennis, WTT, Finals, which earned him the 14th position in the latest ITTF ranking.

The African champion caused one of the biggest upsets at the WTT Finals, Doha 2023.

This was after he came from 0-2 down to beat world number five Hugo Calderano of Brazil 3-2 and book his place in the quarter finals of the year-ending tournament held in Qatar.

Aruna who was ranked 16th before the WTT Finals gained 265 points after his quarter final finish in Doha.

This improved his world rating points to 1,425 ahead of 15th placed Darko Jorgic of Slovenia who has 1,340 points.

Also, WTT has listed Aruna’s 2023 triumph over former world number five Tomokazu Harimoto among the five biggest upsets of the outgone year.

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This was after the Nigerian stunned the Japanese 3-0 to reach the quarter final stage of the Singapore Smash in 2023.

“I am working hard this year so that I can achieve more successes and continue to shoot up my ranking.

“This will enable me secure my qualification to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” Aruna was quoted on the WTT website as saying.

Meanwhile, Aruna has been listed alongside Egypt’s Omar Assar among the top 20 players that will start their campaign from the main draw of the 2024 WTT Star Contender.

The tournament which served off on Monday with the preliminary round will end on Saturday at the Lusail Sports Arena in Doha, Qatar with a prize money of 250,000 dollars.

Source: NAN

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The quarterfinals game at the Lusail Sports Arena on Thursday saw the Chinese dominate the game.

Aruna, the World number 16, came close in the second set but Fan showed class and claimed victory.

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The Nigerian had earlier defeated World number five, Brazil’s Hugo Calderano 3-2 in the Round of 16 before facing Fan in the Quarter finals.

The World number one will meet his compatriot Lin Gaoyuan, world number seven in the semi finals on Friday.

The tournament expected to end on Friday has a prize money of 340,000 US dollars.

Source: NAN

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