Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna will face one of his toughest tests yet at the 2025 ITTF World Championships in Doha, as he takes on South American star Hugo Calderano in a high-stakes fourth-round clash on Thursday, May 22, at Lusail Arena.
The match will rekindle one of the sport’s most compelling intercontinental rivalries, with both players looking to make another deep run at a major global event.
Aruna and Calderano—widely regarded as modern legends in African and South American table tennis—have carved their names into the sport’s history books. They both reached the quarterfinals of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, the first players from their respective continents to do so. Since then, they’ve consistently competed at the highest level, breaking into the world’s top 10 and winning numerous continental titles.
Aruna in fine form in Doha
Aruna’s road to the Round of 16 has been dominant. He began his campaign with a comfortable 4-0 win over Brazil’s Victor Ishiy, before surviving a stern test from Norway’s Borgar Haug in the second round, winning 4-2. In the third round, the Nigerian star held his nerve to defeat Germany’s Benedikt Duda 4-2 and book his place in Thursday’s highly anticipated showdown.
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Calderano riding wave of World Cup success
Calderano, currently ranked world No. 3, comes into the match in blistering form. Just weeks ago, he stunned the table tennis world by winning the 2025 ITTF World Cup in Macao—beating world No. 1 Li Shidong and No. 2 Wang Chuqin of China—to become the first South American to lift the trophy.
In Doha, he opened with a 4-1 win over Mexico’s Rogelio Castro, followed by a clean 4-0 sweep of Tunisia’s Wassim Essid, the reigning African Youth Champion. But he was pushed hard in the third round by Kazakhstan’s Kirill Gerassimenko. After falling two games behind, Calderano turned the match around with his tactical awareness and power, eventually winning 4-2.
Mutual respect ahead of high-stakes duel
Both players know what’s at stake, and the respect between them is clear.
“Aruna is a very strong player. He’s been in the top 10 before, and everyone knows what he’s capable of,” Calderano said ahead of the clash. “I’m ready for a big fight—he’s a fighter too—so it’s going to be very exciting.”
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