By Daily Sports Nigeria on September 13, 2025

Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna was knocked out of the WTT Champions Macao 2025 after losing 3-1 to Germany’s Patrick Franziska in the men’s singles round of 16 on Friday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The world number 26 fell to defeat despite taking the third set, with Franziska winning 11-8, 11-5, 11-13, 11-7 at the Infinity Arena.

Aruna had produced one of his sharpest displays in months during Tuesday’s first round, where he brushed aside China’s Huang Youzheng in straight games 11-3, 11-8, 11-8.

The African number one showed fight against Franziska after losing the opening set 11-8 and the second 11-5 to edge a tight third set 13-11.

However, the German world number 18 closed out the contest 11-7 in the fourth to advance to the quarter-finals.

Aruna had endured a difficult run on the World Table Tennis circuit, losing five of his previous six matches before the tournament, but his authoritative display against Huang had suggested a return to form.

The pair had met once before, with Franziska prevailing, and the German maintained his dominance with a composed performance under pressure.

Franziska had earned his place in the last 16 with a dramatic five-game victory over sixth seed Xiang Peng, recovering from a first-game defeat to edge the contest 10-12, 11-9, 11-9, 1-11, 12-10.

The defeat means Aruna will have to wait longer for his first win over the German and his first place in the last eight of a Champions event since 2021 in Sweden.

Victory would have moved Aruna into a possible quarter-final showdown against fourth seed Hugo Calderano of Brazil.

The WTT Champions Macao, which carries a total prize purse of $800,000, is one of the sport’s most prestigious tournaments, featuring the likes of defending champion Lin Shidong, Wang Chuqin, and Lin Yun-Ju.

The tournament has seen several upsets, with third seed Tomokazu Harimoto knocked out in straight games by China’s Xue Fei, while Europe’s top names, including Simon Gauzy and Anton Kallberg, and Africa’s number two Omar Assar, have also fallen in the early rounds.

Source Punch Ng

Posted September 13, 2025

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