Quadri Aruna maintained his impressive form at the WTT Saudi Smash, defeating Lee Sang Su of South Korea 3-2 in the men’s singles second round at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.
The world number 19 Nigerian dominated the early stages, winning the first two games 11-9 each. However, the determined Korean fought back to level the match at 9-11, 7-11 in the third and fourth games.
The deciding game was a tense affair. Aruna raced to a 4-1 lead, but Lee Sang Su clawed his way back to 4-4. Both players displayed cautious yet aggressive shots, with the Korean even holding a match point at 10-8.
A backhand topspin by Aruna proved crucial, forcing the Korean into two errors and tying the score at 10-10. While a missed shot from Aruna gave the Korean another lead, the Nigerian displayed remarkable composure, matching his opponent shot for shot and eventually winning the thrilling rally 13-11.
This victory echoes Aruna’s performance in the first round against Indian legend Sharath Achanta, showcasing his fighting spirit and ability to perform under pressure.
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He becomes the second player to reach the round of 16, joining Iran’s Noshad Alamiyan who caused the first upset of the day by defeating world number five Jingkun Liang 3-2.
Aruna’s next challenge will be another Korean opponent, Daeseong Cho, in the third-round tie (round of 16) scheduled for Wednesday, 8 May.
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