Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna continues his impressive run at the 2025 WTT Star Contender Doha, setting up a semifinal clash against the tournament’s No. 1 seed, Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan.

Aruna secured his third win at the tournament by defeating Korea’s Park Ganghyeon in an explosive quarterfinal match at the Lusail Arena in Doha.

Earlier on Friday, January 10, the second highest-ranked African player in the world avenged his previous losses to Spain’s Alvaro Robles with a hard-fought 3-2 victory.

In the quarterfinal match, Aruna showcased a dominant performance against the Korean qualifier, who had previously eliminated German top seed Patrick Franciska in the second round.

Aruna took control from the start, winning the first game 11-9 and the second game 11-8. Although Park fought back to win the third game 11-4, Aruna regained his composure and clinched the fourth game 11-9, securing a 3-1 victory and advancing to the semifinals.

Aruna remains the only male African player to reach the semifinal stage of the WTT Star Contender, replicating his achievement from the 2022 edition.

He will now face a familiar opponent in Japanese sensation Harimoto; while their last encounter at the WTT Champions Frankfurt in Germany, ended in Aruna’s favour, Harimoto will be seeking revenge when they meet on Saturday, January 11.

Quadri Aruna kicked off 2025 with a significant victory on Thursday, January 9, by defeating British champion Liam Pitchford.

This win propelled him to the third round of the Men’s Singles at the WTT Star Contender Doha in Qatar.

Earlier in the competition, Egypt’s Dina Meshref was unable to overcome China’s Chen Yi, exiting the Women’s Singles in the second round with a 3-1 loss.

As the only remaining African competitor and the fifth seed, Aruna navigated the challenging style of Pitchford to avoid an early exit. Despite losing the first game 10-12, Aruna bounced back to win the next three games 11-9, 11-9, 11-9, securing his spot in the third round.

Next, Aruna will face Spain’s Alvaro Robles, who also advanced by defeating a Japanese contender in the second round.

The Men’s Singles draw saw a major upset with the third seed, Patrick Franziska of Germany, being eliminated in the round of 32. Franziska initially led against Park Ganghyeon of the Korea Republic but ultimately lost 3-2 (9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8).

Frenchman Thibault Poret continued his impressive run in Doha, defeating No.14 seed Lim Jonghoon of Korea Republic (11-6, 9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8) to reach his first round of 16 at the WTT Star Contender stage.

In the Women’s Singles, Britt Eerland celebrated advancing to the last 16 after a notable 3-1 win over No.14 seed Manika Batra of India (10-12, 11-8, 11-8, 11-3). Eerland overcame an early setback in game one to win three consecutive games.

Bernadette Szocs also demonstrated remarkable resilience, coming from behind to defeat the German in five games (3-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9), showcasing her fighting spirit and determination.

 Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Quadri Aruna will kick off his New Year campaign as the fifth seed at the WTT Star Contender Doha, which began on Wednesday with the main draw at the Lusail Sports Arena in Doha, Qatar.

Also, Egypt’s Dina Meshref will commence her quest for glory in the second round of the Women’s Singles against China’s Chen Yi. The 2024 Africa Cup champion is making a return to the international scene after excusing herself from the 2024 African Championships in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Egypt’s Dina Meshref

Aruna, who started 2025 as the second highest-rated African, is ranked 21st in the latest ITTF rankings, just behind Egypt’s Omar Assar, who is ranked 18th in the world.

As one of the top-ranked players at the WTT Star Contender Doha, Aruna is seeded No. 5, following Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, Germany’s Dan Qui, Germany’s Patrick Franciska, and Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic, who are the top four seeds in the Men’s Singles.

Doha has been a favorable venue for Aruna, as he reached the semifinal stage at the 2022 edition. He hopes to replicate or surpass that achievement this year.

As one of the top seeds and the only African competing in the Men’s Singles, Aruna has received a bye to the second round (round of 32), where he is expected to face the winner between England’s Liam Pitchford and Kazakhstan’s Kirill Gerassimenko.

Meshref got a bye to the second round as the 16th seed in the Women’s Singles as she is hoping to break her losing streak against the Chinese players this year.

The Lusail Sports Arena sets the stage for the six-day event, starting with two days of qualifying action from January 6 to 7, followed by the main draw from January 8 to 11.

A total prize pool of $275,000 is at stake, and the WTT Star Contender Doha 2025 offers players a prime opportunity to gain significant points in the ITTF Table Tennis World Rankings.

The tournament also marks the return of former champions, including Tomokazu Harimoto, the winner of the first-ever WTT Star Contender Doha in 2021.

Seven-time event champion in the WTT Series, Hina Hayata of Japan, is another player looking to rekindle her past success in Doha.

Additionally, surprise packages from the 2022 event, Andrej Gacina and Miyuu Kihara, will also be returning.

 Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H