ITTF World Championship: Calderano cruises past Aruna in Doha showdown
Nigeria’s table tennis icon, Quadri Aruna, saw his 2025 ITTF World Championships campaign come to an end Thursday after a 4-0 loss to Brazil’s Hugo Calderano in the men’s singles round of 16.
What was billed as one of the marquee clashes of the tournament instead turned into a one-sided rout at Doha’s Lusail Arena.
Calderano, who has long been one of the world’s top-ranked players, neutralized Aruna’s devastating forehand by relentlessly targeting his backhand.
He swiftly claimed the match in just 22 minutes, storming to victory in straight games—11-4, 11-4, 11-4, 11-6—and booked his quarter-final berth without dropping a single game.
His rapid backhand flicks and explosive forehand topspins repeatedly earned him easy points, while Aruna was left scrambling and committing a string of unforced errors.
Even encouragement from his coaching staff could not spark a comeback for the Nigerian.
Aruna remains Africa’s most successful table tennis player, having twice reached the round of 16 at the World Championships and made the quarter-finals in Houston in 2021.
In Doha, the 36-year-old was the sole African representative to break into the top 16.
