Nigerian table tennis star Quadri Aruna had a promising start to the World Table Tennis (WTT) China Smash, defeating Benedek Olah 3-1 (13-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-7) in a round of 64 match at Shijingshan Shougang Park in Beijing on Sunday.
Ranked 19th in the world, Aruna progresses to the round of 32 of the prestigious tournament, which boasts a $2 million prize pool, running from September 26 to October 6.
At 39 years old, Aruna holds the distinction of being the first African player to reach a top 10 world ranking, with his highest position being 10. He aims to redeem himself following a disappointing performance at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where he was eliminated in the round of 64 in men’s singles table tennis by Romania’s Eduard Ionescu in a closely contested match that ended 4-3.
In other tournament highlights, top-seeded Chinese player Sun Yingsha advanced to the women’s singles last 32 by defeating Poland’s Natalia Bajor in straight sets, 11-7, 11-1, 11-8. The main draw of the WTT China Smash commenced on Sunday, with an opening ceremony that included a rendition of “Welcome to Beijing,” a song created for the 2008 Olympic Games, enhancing the venue’s electrifying atmosphere.
After her match, 23-year-old Sun expressed her enthusiasm: “This is the first time for Beijing to host WTT Smash. I felt great in my first-round match, thanks to the warm support from the crowd. I hope to continue progressing match after match to further improve my performance.”