Despite a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Quadri Aruna in the second round of the Men’s Singles at the Singapore Smash 2025, Brazil’s Hugo Calderano admitted that the Nigerian remains a formidable opponent in any competition.
Calderano, who had to rally from a 1-0 deficit, secured his win with scores of 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, and 11-6, advancing to the third round.
This victory gives Calderano a 3-1 head-to-head lead in their last four encounters.
Reflecting on the match, Calderano expressed admiration for Aruna’s resilience, saying, “I always knew Aruna was a very dangerous player.
He can come back from 2-0 down, and he showed that again today. Everyone knows how capable he is of winning these kinds of matches.
It was another valuable experience playing against him.”
Despite the loss, Aruna’s performance stood as a testament to his unyielding spirit and skill.
The Nigerian, who had shown flashes of brilliance throughout the match, proved his ability to challenge even the top-ranked players.
Aruna continues to earn respect from his peers for his consistency and ability to compete on the world’s biggest stages.
Meanwhile, in the Women’s Singles, Egypt’s Hana Goda was eliminated by China’s Man Kuai in the second round.
Although Goda matched her opponent in power and skill, she ultimately fell 3-1 (11-1, 5-11, 11-1, 12-10), despite a hard-fought effort in the final game.
The Egyptian contingent, including Omar Assar, Youssef Abdelaziz, Mohamed El-Beiali, Dina Meshref, and Mariam Alhodaby, faced early exits in the $1.5 million tournament, failing to progress beyond the first round.
Despite the disappointment, Aruna remains optimistic about his future competitions.
He is now focusing on defending his title at the 2025 African Cup in Tunisia later this month and is looking forward to competing in the WTT Champions in China next month.
