All Of Nigeria’s representative in the men’s singles and doubles event at the 2015 ITTF World Championship in China failed to advance into the second round and last 16 respectively, as Aruna Quadri suffered early upset and Segun Toriola’s resilience met stern opposition.
The reigning ITTF Star Player of the Year, 28, was eliminated by a player rated 66 places below him on the world rankings in India’s Ghosh Soumyadjit, who defeated Quadri 6-11 10-12 12-14 11-6 5-11 to advance from the first round on Tuesday.
Toriola however managed to bring his experience to bear against Huang Sheng-Sheng of Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) with the record 6-time Olympian fighting back from losing the opening three games to tie 3-3, only to drop the decider.
No. 77-rated Huang accounts for Toriola- ranked 1005 in the world- 8-11 7-11 1-11 11-9 11-7 11-6 6-11 to advance into the last 64.
Doubles fall
In the absence of Ojo Onaolapo- Toriola’s team-mate in the doubles- the Nigerian duo were walked over by Japan’s Kenta Matsudaira and Koki Niwa on Tuesday.
Meanwhile reigning ITTF-Africa doubles champions Quadri and Makanjuola Kazeem defeated Saudi Arabia’s duo of Alkhadrawi A and Bu S four-1 to set up Brazilians Cazuo Matsumo and Thiago Monteiro in Tuesday’s round two doubles action in the Chinese city of Sonzhou.
Quadri and Kazeem were beaten by the South Americans 11-7 7-11 5-11 6-11 5-11, leaving the men’s double competition shy of a Nigerian in the round of 16.
