ITTF World Tour: Quadri Returns To Winning Ways At German Open

2014 ITTF Star Player, Aruna Quadri returned to his hunting ground – German where he started his resurgence in 2014 as he caused one of the upsets at the ongoing ITTF World Tour tagged German Open.

  Despite not seeded for the tournament as the world’s top 16 players are listed in the main draw and Quadri has to commence his campaign from the preliminaries.

  The German fans were not disappointed with the Nigerian whom they have known for his ferocious forehand and true to his rating, Quadri lived up to expectation when he stunned world number 30, Sweden’s Par Gerell to join the world best in the main draw of the championship.

  Having won two matches, Quadri was fired up against the left-handed Swedish as he was in fine form with his attacking style of play which bemused his opponent. The fans has something to cheer during the encounter and it was the Nigerian that had an upper hand with a 

 15-13,9-11,9-11,11-3,9-11,2-11 (4-2) to become the first qualifiers to make it to the main draw.

  “The experience of the German Open is very helpful for the ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup and the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The standard of the German Open is very high and one of the best of the world preparations for the top events as ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup and the Olympic Games. My motivation for the Africa Cup is become one of the two best players of the competition,” Quadri said after the energy-sapping tie.

  However, the good run of Quadri’s compatriot, Bode Abiodun was ended by Korea’s Minseok Kim. Abiodun who is ranked 236 in the world had made headlines in the competition after edging out world number 151, Frenchman, Romain Lorentz 14-12,11-9,12-14,11-7,11-5 (4-1)  as well as Russia’s Alexey Liventsov, ranked 76 in an encounter that ended 9-11, 11-7, 11-5, 12-10, 11-6 (4-1) in favour of the Nigerian.

  But the Korean who is ranked 39 in the world was too much for Abiodun as the Asian won at 10-12, 5-11, 6-11, 5-11 (4-0) to end the fine form of the Nigerian.

  Egypt’s Omar Assar also advanced to the main draw after beating India’s Harmeet Desai 4-1.