Quadri Aruna will early this morning face another Herculean task as he battles French teenage sensation Alexis Lebrun in the second round of the men’s singles at the WTT Singapore Smash taking place at the Singapore Sports Hub’s OCBC Arena.
Aruna who was at his best when he edged out Germany’s Ruwen Filus in a close contest that ended 3-2 in favour of the Nigerian in the first round on Sunday, will face a daunting task against the giant-killing French teenager who bundled out China’s Yuan Licen in the first round.
A determined Aruna told NationSport yesterday that he knew what he would face against the French star.
“Playing against some of these talented players is not always easy because you have to be at your best throughout the match,” Aruna said.“Having played against his younger brother at WTT Contender Durban, I knew what I went through before overcoming him but Alexis is more experienced than his brother so I must redouble my effort and ensure I play my best without giving room for errors.
“Singapore Smash is nobody’s game because it is always 50-50 against any player as everyone here is capable of winning the title and for you to get to an enviable stage in the tournament; you have to beat the best to be considered the best.
“ I am eagerly looking forward to the match as I am getting used to the time zone in Singapore. There is no doubt that it is going to be another big match for me and I will surely give my best again in the match,”Aruna added.
Yesterday’s matches witnessed several upsets with te exit of number two seed Mima Ito of Japan following a shock 3-2 defeat at the hands of China’s Qian Tianyi (6-11, 12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10).
While Quek Izaac is the first-ever Singapore player to make the second round at Singapore Smash after posting an extraordinary comeback win over Sweden’s Mattias Falck (6-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-9, 12-10).
Romania’s Elizabeta Samara was on top of the world on Monday after a career best win over Singapore Smash defending champion Chen Meng of China. Samara fought her way to an incredible upset win over the World No.2, coming out on top 3-2 (6-11, 11-6, 2-11, 11-6, 11-8).