The fierce table tennis rivalry between Nigeria and Brazil will be reignited as Quadri Aruna and Hugo Calderano face off in the second round of the Men’s Singles at the WTT Singapore Smash 2025.
Exactly a year after their last meeting at the 2024 WTT Finals in Doha, Aruna and Calderano—both reigning continental champions—will battle once again in what promises to be a thrilling encounter. Calderano holds a narrow advantage, having won two of their three previous matchups, but Aruna enters with momentum, having triumphed in their last clash in Doha.
Aruna kicked off his Singapore Smash campaign with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over South Korea’s Oh Jungsun. After losing the first game 8-11, the Nigerian bounced back with an 11-8 win in the second. The third game was a nail-biter, but Aruna’s aggressive rallies secured an 11-9 edge. He then dominated the fourth game, closing out the match 11-7 to book his spot in the next round.
Calderano, meanwhile, eased past Portugal’s Marcos Freitas with a commanding 3-0 win in his opening match. The stage is now set for a highly anticipated showdown on Tuesday, February 4, as the Brazilian star takes on Africa’s No. 1.
With Egypt’s Omar Assar, Mohamed El-Beiali, and Youssef Abdelaziz all eliminated, Aruna remains Africa’s last hope in the Men’s Singles draw.