Nigerian table tennis star Quadri Aruna has crashed out of the WTT Champions Chongqing 2025 after suffering a comprehensive 3-0 defeat to world number two Wang Chuqin of China in their round of 32 clash on Wednesday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Nigerian, currently ranked 19th in the world, was overwhelmed by his Chinese opponent who dominated proceedings at the Infinity Arena in Huaxi, winning in straight games 11-6, 13-11, 11-7 to advance to the next round of the $800,000 prize money tournament.
Despite a spirited effort in the second game where Aruna pushed the match to a deuce, the home favourite’s clinical performance proved too much for the African challenger, who managed just 24 points throughout the entire contest compared to Wang’s 35.
Match statistics revealed Aruna’s struggle against the Chinese star, with the Nigerian winning only 14 points on his own serve and 10 on his opponent’s serve. Wang demonstrated his superiority by establishing a maximum lead of five points during the encounter and stringing together five consecutive points at one stage.
This marked the first-ever meeting between the two players in the WTT series, with Aruna unable to leverage his experience and tactical versatility against Chuqin’s ice-cold composure and the backing of his home crowd.
The defeat follows a challenging period for African players at the season’s inaugural WTT Champions event, with Aruna’s continental rival Omar Assar of Egypt, ranked 17th globally, also suffering a straight-game defeat (3-0) to Germany’s Dang Qiu, the world number nine.
In the women’s category, Egypt’s Dina Meshref, ranked 33rd, lost 3-1 to South Korea’s Kim Nayeong, ranked 39th in the world.
Aruna had entered the tournament hoping to build on his recent runner-up finish at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup in Tunisia, where he lost to Assar in the final. However, the Nigerian’s campaign in China came to an abrupt end against the formidable Wang.
The WTT Champions Chongqing 2025, which runs from March 11 to 16, features 32 of the world’s top players in both men’s and women’s singles categories competing under the signature purple lights for a share of the substantial prize purse.
African interest in the tournament now shifts to Egypt’s Hana Goda, who faces South Korea’s Shun Yubin on Thursday (today). The 17-year-old Egyptian, who recently reclaimed her ITTF Africa Cup title with a 4-2 comeback victory against compatriot Meshref, will be looking to improve on her consecutive round of 32 exits at recent major events.
