Nigerian table tennis ace, Quadri Aruna, saw his WTT Champions Chongqing 2025 campaign cut short on Wednesday after suffering a commanding 3-0 defeat to China’s world number two, Wang Chuqin, in the round of 32.
Aruna, ranked 19th globally, found himself outmatched at the Infinity Arena in Huaxi, where Wang delivered a dominant performance, winning in straight sets, 11-6, 13-11, 11-7, to progress in the $800,000 prize money competition.
Despite putting up a strong fight in the second game and pushing it to a deuce, the Nigerian could not derail Wang’s momentum.
Over the course of the match, Aruna managed only 24 points compared to the Chinese star’s 35, highlighting the difficulty he faced in countering his opponent’s precision.
A closer look at the match statistics further emphasized the challenge for Aruna, as he secured just 14 points on his own serve and 10 on return.
Wang, on the other hand, displayed his class with a five-point lead at one stage and a streak of five consecutive points.
This contest marked the first time the two players clashed in the WTT series, but Aruna was unable to use his experience to his advantage against Wang’s unshakable composure and the roaring support of the home crowd.
His early exit continues a tough start for African representatives at the event. Egypt’s Omar Assar, the world’s 17th-ranked player, also bowed out in straight sets (3-0) to Germany’s Dang Qiu, ranked ninth. On the women’s side, Egypt’s Dina Meshref, the world number 33, fell 3-1 to South Korea’s Kim Nayeong.
Aruna had entered the competition aiming to build on his recent runner-up finish at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup in Tunisia, where he finished second to Assar. However, his journey in China ended sooner than he had hoped.
With the tournament running from March 11 to 16, featuring 32 of the best male and female players battling under the signature purple lights, African hopes now rest on Egypt’s Hana Goda.
The 17-year-old, fresh off reclaiming her ITTF Africa Cup title with a 4-2 comeback win against Meshref, faces South Korea’s Shun Yubin on Thursday as she seeks to break her recent streak of early exits at major tournaments.
