Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna showcased his world-class talent with a thrilling 4–2 victory over Germany’s Benedikt Duda to reach the round of 16 at the 2025 ITTF World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
The win, secured at Lusail Hall on Tuesday, cements Aruna’s position as the last African remaining in the men’s singles after Egypt’s Omar Assar exited in the second round.
Facing a 1–2 head-to-head disadvantage, Aruna started strong by edging the first set 11–9, but Duda responded with a dominant 11–4 in the second. Aruna adjusted his strategy in the third to take it 11–8, although a controversial service fault rattled him in the fourth, which he lost 11–2.
Showing resilience, the Nigerian star mounted a stunning comeback in the fifth set, rallying from 3–9 to win 12–10. Riding that momentum, he closed out the sixth set 11–9 to seal a hard-fought 4–2 triumph.
Aruna now looks ahead to the round of 16 as Africa’s sole hope in the men’s category.
