The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Hungarian Open

  • ITTF Ranking: Aruna Quadri rises to 25th

    Despite not making it beyond the preliminary round of the Hungarian Open, Aruna Quadri gained some points to move a step up in the February ITTF Ranking released yesterday by the world table tennis ruling body.

    With a win in Hungary, Quadri picked up some points to move from 26 to 25 in the global rating to remain the highest ranked African player in the world.

    Egypt’s Omar Assar remains the second best ranked African player after the Egyptian star gained three steps up to move to 44 from 47 in the new ranking.

    Nigeria’s youngster – Olajide Omotayo continues his rise as his participation in the Hungarian Open aided his rise to 141 from 146.

    Also, winner of the men’s singles title at the Hungarian Open in Budapest, China’s Lin Gaoyuan is the player to make the most significant progress amongst the leading names on the Men’s World Rankings.

    He advances one position to number three and thus equals the highest listing of his career; last year he held the position in both June and August.

    Once again, as in January, Gaoyuan compatriots – Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin occupy the top two respective positions; the player to make way for Lin Gaoyuan being Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto. He drops one place to no.4. Germany’s Timo Boll remains at no.5, followed as the previous month by Korea Republic’s Lee Sangsu and Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting; Japan’s Koki Niwa and Jun Mizutani are once again the next in the pecking order. Also from Korea’s Republic Jang Woojin and China’s Ma Long complete the top 12 names. Very much the status quo but most notably for China’s Liang Jingkun, the winner at the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Austrian Open and the evergreen Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus, who secured his first ITTF World Tour title in 1996 in Bolzano, there is progress. Liang Jingkun climbs from no.20 to no.16; Vladimir Samsonov, having been at low as no.54 last July, moves from no.23 to no.20.

  • Omotayo battles African Champion at Hungarian Open

    Olajide Omotayo will face his first biggest test in 2019 as he has been drawn against current African Junior Champion – Egypt’s Youssef Abdel-Aziz in the first round of the preliminary of the ITTF World Tour tagged Hungarian Open.

    Bore his departure to Budapest at the weekend, Aruna Quadri and Bode Abiodun added to their laurels in the Portuguese elite league after the Nigerians claimed their fifth Portuguese Cup title with Sporting.

    To claim the title for fifth consecutive times, Sporting defeated GDCS Juncal 3-0 to emerge as champion just as their women’s team also defeated GD Toledos 3-1 to reclaim the gong for the first time in the last five years.

    Quadri and biodun played crucial roles in the Sporting’s triumph with Quadri winning the first match against Russian Andrei Bukin 3-0 (11-5, 11-2, 11-6), while Abiodun partnered Portuguese international – Diogo Carvalho in the doubles to beat Juncal’s pair of David Bessa and Andrei Bukin 3-0 (11-2, 11-4, 11-9) to lift the trophy.

    Today at the Budapest Olympic Hall, Omotayo, a semifinalist at the 2018 African Championship in Mauritius will square up against Egyptian southpaw – Abdel-Aziz in what promises to be battle of supremacy between two of African’s future stars on the centre court in Budapest.

    Also in the first round of the preliminary, Kazeem Makanjuola and Jamiu Azeez will face Herculean task when they confront Austria’s Alexander Chen and France’s Andrea Landrieu.

    Other African stars starting their campaigns from the first round include Egypt’s trio of Khalid Assar, Dina Meshref and Yousra Helmy.

    Khalid Assar will face Switzerland’s Dorian Girod, African women champion – Dina Meshref will slug it out against Switzerland’s Rahel Aschwanden while Yousra Helmy will face a big task against Ukraine’s Tetyana Bilenko.

    Quadri and Egypt’s Omar Assar will also be in action later today in the second round of the preliminary as the tournament is in a knockout format.

    Over 200 players from 53 coutries will be competing in the $170,000 prize money championship, which serves a dress rehearsal for the 2019 World Championship in April this year.

  • Hungarian Open: Omotayo face Indian in deciding tie

    Hungarian Open: Omotayo face Indian in deciding tie

     

    Having learnt from what befell him in 2017, Olajide Omotayo refused to play to the gallery at the ITTF World Tour in Hungary as the former national junior champion took his Canadian counterpart to the cleaner in the first group match of the men’s singles.

    In 2017, Omotayo lost most of his first matches at the ITTF World Tours but this year, he took his game to higher level as was in superb form against Canada’s Antoine Bernadet.

    From the first game, it was as if the Canadian wanted to rattle the Nigerian after winning 11-1. But on returning to the table, Omotayo stunned his opponent by winning four consecutive games to put the encounter beyond the Canadian. The match ended 1-11, 11-8, 11-6, 12-10, 11-7 (4-1) and Omotayo has now set up a deciding tie against Indian Sanil Shetty Wednesday.

    Unlike Omotayo, Kazeem Makanjuola was on the losing end as he was thrashed 4-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-4, 11-7) by Denmark’s Anders Lind in Group 28. Makanjuola last group tie will be against England’s Samuel Walker.

    In the men’s doubles Wednesday, Omotayo and Makanjuola will slug it against Czech Republic’s duo of Tomas Konecny and Tomas Polansky in the preliminary round.

    In 2017, the heart of the home team was broken when their home girl was beaten by Romania’s Adina Diaconu, but yesterday on the opening day of action in Budapest, Orsolya Feher was the toast of the host nation in the qualification tournament.

    The no.25 seed, against the odds, booked her place in the quarter-finals of the Under 21 Women’s Singles event.

    The 18 year old had earlier edged out number 9 seed Daria Trigolos of Belarus (11-9, 11-4, 2-11, 11-9), and Germany’s Wan Yuan (11-5, 11-7, 11-2) respectively.

  • Hungarian Open was an eye opener, Omotayo admits

    Hungarian Open was an eye opener, Omotayo admits

    Olajide Omotayo was at the just concluded Hungarian Open in Budapest and being his maiden appearance in any European-organised ITTF World Tour, the Italy-based Nigerian admits that attending the tournament has indeed enriched him.

    The 21-year-old said: “I have learnt a lot from the Hungarian Open and I was able to watch so many top players with their different styles. I also had the privileged to practice with Aruna Quadri during the tournament. The most important lesson I learnt is that I can be whatever I want to be if I don’t give up on myself. All I need is more hard work and to remain a focus for me to reach my goals.”

    Having won his two group matches, Olajide Omotayo said: “Hungarian Open was very unique as some top players featured in the competition but my cherish moment was watching Aruna Quadri. I noticed that he plays with quality each time and he hit the ball hard as he can and this is what I have really picked up from him.

    He described the atmosphere in Budapest as tensed. My first match was a little difficult because the feeling and atmosphere were so different from other tournaments, which have taken part in. I was lading 2-0 with my opponent levelling up at 2-2. I had the advantage of winning because I was the one serving last but at the same time, I was lucky. I must admit that this victory meant a lot to me because I won against someone who is ranked 245 in the world and this really gives me joy. I know that when the new ranking list is released next month, my ranking will get better with the victory.”

    He is hoping to feature at the Luxembourg, Slovenia and Czech Opens, while adding that, “Some of the mistakes I need to correct are my receiving, service as well as other technical aspects of my game. Having watched and played against some of the top players, I think my game will be different during the next tournaments.”

    He added: “I am eagerly looking forward to my next tournament and this is going to be another test for me and I hope to play very hard and give my 100 percent.

  • Aruna Quadri may set new world table tennis record

    Aruna Quadri may set new world table tennis record

    Record setting Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri is inching closer to inking another feat when the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) releases the February 2017 ranking.

    In 2016, Quadri set unprecedented records after becoming the first African to qualify for the quarterfinal stage of the men’s singles of table tennis event of the Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil as well as the only table tennis player from the continent to be ranked 25th in the ITTF world ranking.

    However, a new record may be in the offing for the Oyo State-born athlete in 2017 after his exceptional performance at the just concluded ITTF World Tour tagged Hungarian Open where his quarterfinal berth may have earned him some crucial ranking points that will push his ranking up the ladder when the February rating is released next week by the world table tennis ruling body.

    Seeded number nine in the men’s singles of the Hungarian Open, Quadri beat two of the world’s best from Germany and the Czech Republic to become the only African to ever made it far in the history of the Hungarian Open.

    Having started the year as world’s number 25th, Quadri’s imminent rise will be officially confirmed on February 1 with the expected new ranking for February.

    Meanwhile, the 2014 ITTF Star Player will lead his French club – Jura Morez against Villeneuve, which has French internationals Adrien Mattenet, Antoine Hachard and Stéphane Ouaiche in the elite French league on January 21.

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  • Nigeria table tennis team now competitive – Onaolapo

    Unlike in the past where players were handpicked to feature for Nigeria in major competitions, but to make the national table tennis now is as hard as a camel passing through the needle, says Portugal-based Ojo Onaolapo.

    Onaolapo who failed to make it beyond the preliminary round at the just concluded Hungarian Open in Budapest told NationSport that after being exempted from the nation team after his last outing at the 2016 World Championship in Malaysia, he hopes to work his way back into the team with hard work and discipline.

    “From the quality of players we have in Nigeria coupled with the competitiveness of the team, it is now very hard to make the team because you need to prove yourself that you are worthy to be in the team. You must also be disciplined to be part of the team which has quality and disciplined players like Segun Toriola and Aruna Quadri,” he said.

    On his early exit at Hungarian Open, he said: “But I know if I continue going to competition from time to time, I will reclaim my place back in the national team. I just have to keep going to tournaments because I now realised that tournament arena is different from the club so I need to keep going to ITTF World Tour,” he said.

    He added: “In most of the matches, I was leading only to lose. While the racket my opponents were using were not the ones I was used to. Apart from the defeat, I think I learnt a lot from taking part in the competition and it makes me believe that nothing is impossible and I got to know the latest in table tennis around the world.”

    Onaolapo could not hide his fascination for his compatriot – Aruna Quadri saying, “Seeing Aruna Quadri playing and winning against some of the top players will make people believe that Africa can do it. His performance gives me confidence that nothing is impossible in table tennis. That it is just hard work and ensure that I attend tournaments regularly. Also, I noticed that Aruna Quadri play strong short while he moves a lot on the table. He fights for every point on the table and this is a quality I must follow.”

    He hopes to feature in tournaments in Luxembourg and Slovenia before the 2017 World Championships in Germany. “I intend to play more competitions in Luxembourg and Slovenia before the World Championship. What I believe is that if I keep focusing and attending tournaments while also performing very well, I think I can be a regular in the Nigeria national team,” he said.

  • Quadri finishes in top eight at Hungarian Open

    Quadri finishes in top eight at Hungarian Open

    • Moves to German Open

    Aruna Quadri had the best outing in his first International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour in 2016 as the 2014 ITTF Star Player finished among the top eight players in the men’s singles of the just concluded Hungarian Open.

    Unlike in the previous editions that Quadri could not move beyond the first round, the Oyo State-born athlete also hurt the home fans when he bundled out the only surviving Hungarian, Daniel Kosiba in the round of 16 tie of the competition.

    Starting his campaign from the main draw after being seeded number six among the 32 rated players for the tournament, Quadri was in fine form from the first round bashing Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro 11-7,12-10,11-4,15-13 (4-0). He progressed by edging out the competition’s number 24 seed, Czech’s Tomas Konecny 11-4,11-5,11-8,8-11,11-5 (4-1).

    In front of the home crowd coupled with the vociferous noise of the fans, Quadri never succumbed to these as he was merciless against home boy, Daniel Kosiba in the round of the 16 encounter with a 11-7,3-11,11-7,11-9,11-5 (4-1) whitewash to advance to the quarterfinal stage of the tournament.

    Defeat for Daniel Kosiba, on the afternoon of  January 23, ended the host nation’s aspirations at the 2016 ITTF World Tour Hungarian Open in Budapest; the last man standing he was beaten by the Nigerian. The only crumb of consolation for Daniel Kosiba is that it was a far better result than one year ago. At the 2015 ITTF World Tour Hungarian Open, he was beaten in the first round of the Men’s Singles event by Belgium’s Cédric Nuytinck.

    However, Quadri’s good run was thwarted by France’s Simon Gauzy, the number three seed. He accounted for Quadri, in a six games encounter (13-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-6, 11-13, 11-6).

    Similarly, Simon Gauzy once again held the upper hand when facing Quadri as it was at the same stage at the 2015 ITTF World Tour Czech Open in Olomouc, Simon Gauzy had prevailed in six games over the Nigerian.

    “It would have been great to change that result but I’m not too disappointed as I consider him to be a great player. His serves were extremely hard to receive: I made too many small mistakes and unforced errors,”said Quadri Aruna.

    In the men’s doubles, Quadri combined with his compatriot, Bode Abiodun and they started their campaign from the qualifying round to make it to the quarterfinal where they fell to the skills of Chinese Taipei’s duo of Chih-Yuan Chuang and Sheng-Sheng Huang 10-12, 7-11, 11-9, 8-11 (3-1). They had caused an upset in the first round when they edged out number five seed, Brazil’s pair of Cazuo Matsumoto and Thiago Monteiro 9-11, 9-11, 10-12 (3-0).

    Quadri and Abiodun will be heading to Berlin for the German Open which serves off on January 27.