Nigeria’s tennis star, Quadri Aruna, succumbed to pressure as Romania’s Eduard Ionescu rallied from a 3-0 deficit to secure a 4-3 victory in the Round of 64 of the Paris 2024 Olympics men’s table tennis singles event.
Aruna started strong, taking a 3-0 lead with set scores of 11-8, 11-9, and 11-6 against Ionesu on Saturday, July 27. His victory appeared imminent, especially after his fellow player Olajide Omotayo’s earlier loss to Iran’s Noshad Alamiyan.
Also Read:Pre-season: Man United Suffer Double Injury Concern After 2-1 Loss To Arsenal
However, Ionescu fought back, winning the fourth game 11-8 and then clinching the deciding game 13-11 to advance to the Round of 32.
Aruna’s defeat marks the end of Nigeria’s medal hopes in the men’s singles tournament.
Next up, Nigerian duo Offiong Edem and Fatimo Bello will compete on Sunday, July 28, and Monday, July 29, respectively, in the women’s singles event. Edem will face Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi at 9:00 pm on Sunday, while debutant Bello will compete against France’s Jia Nan Yuan at 9:00 am on Monday.
By Dotun Omisakin
Got what it Takes?
Predict and Win Millions Now