Despite a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Quadri Aruna in the second round of the Men’s Singles at the 2025 Singapore Smash, Brazil’s Hugo Calderano admitted that the Nigerian remains a formidable opponent on any stage.
Calderano had to rally from a 1-0 deficit to claim victory with scores of 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-6, advancing to the third round. This latest win gives the Brazilian a 3-1 lead in their last four encounters.
Reflecting on the intense match, Calderano acknowledged Aruna’s resilience:
“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.”
In the Women’s Singles, Egypt’s Hana Goda bowed out in the second round after a 3-1 loss (11-1, 5-11, 11-1, 12-10) to China’s Man Kuai. Despite matching her opponent in power and skill, she was unable to advance.
The Egyptian squad endured a tough tournament, with Omar Assar, Youssef Abdelaziz, Mohamed El-Beiali, Dina Meshref, and Mariam Alhodaby all exiting in the first round of the $1.5 million event.
Meanwhile, Aruna remains optimistic, setting his sights on the WTT Champions in China next month. His immediate focus, however, is on defending his title at the 2025 African Cup in Tunisia later this month.
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