Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri and Taiwo Mati have both advanced to the round of 64 at the ongoing 2023 ITTF World Table-Tennis Championships finals in Durban, South Africa.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that World number 12 Quadri defeated Ovidiu Ionescu of Romania 4-2 (11-7, 12-10, 8-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9) in a men’s singles round of 128 encounter.
Quadri who is also Africa’s number one ranked player, was on the front foot early in the match as he took a 2-0 lead against his opponent ranked number 109.
Ionescu looked poised to stage a comeback as he broke Quadri’s serve in the third set to make it 2-1, but it was short-lived as the Nigerian bounced back in the fourth for a 3-1 lead.
The Romanian had another short spell in the fifth as he narrowed the gap to 3-2, but Quadri came back roaring in the fifth and final set to make it 4-2.
He overpowered his opponent as he ammased a superior point of 60 as against the Romanian’s 53 with his biggest lead (6) coming in the fourth set to advance to the round of 64.
Also, campatriot Taiwo Mati pulled a stunning comeback victory from the brinks of two sets down to win Czech’s Lubomir Jancarik 4-2 (7-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8) in another round of 128 fixture.
World number 94 Jancarik looked to dominate and impose his game early on Mati who is currently 99 on the ITTF rankings as he took the first two sets in quick successions.
But the 18 year-old Nigerian was resilient, showing character and mental strength to upset his opponent against all odds.
He came back strong in the third set and never looked back from then on, hitting his opponent with his trademark left-handed attacks in the final third to progress to the round of 64.
In the women’s singles round of 124 fixtures, Nigeria’s world number 61 ranked player Fatimo Bello walked over Liopa Santhy of Vanuatu 4-0 to advance to the round of 64.
However, Nigeria’s other representative in the women’s singles event, world number 154, Olufunke Oshonaike crashed out after she lost 0-4 (7-11, 4-11, 6-11, 7-11) to world number 153, Charlotte Lutz of France.
Lutz proved too strong for the Nigerian as she totally dominated her opponent with 44 overall points won as against Oshonaike’s 24 with her biggest lead of 7 coming in the first and fourth set.
In the men’s doubles event, the pair of Bode Abiodun and Quadri were knocked out as they lost 2-3 (14-16, 11-5, 11-8, 4-11, 3-11) to the duo of Hungry’s Nandor Ecseki and Adam Szudi in a round of 64 encounter.
While the pair of Nigeria’s Cecilia Akpan and Offiong Edem also crashed out of the women’s doubles event after losing 0-3 (5-11, 3-11, 10-12) to the duo of Hungary’s Dora Madarasz and Georgina Pota in the round of 64.
The week-long 2023 ITTF World Table-Tennis Championships which served off on Saturday will end on Sunday in Durban, South Africa. (NAN)
