Aruna Crashes Out Of ITTF World Cup After Matsushima Defeat

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Nigeria’s table tennis star, Quadri Aruna, has been eliminated from the ITTF World Cup following a straight-sets defeat to Sora Matsushima in his final Group 6 match at the Galaxy Arena.

Aruna, who needed a win to keep his qualification hopes alive after an earlier loss, was outclassed by the Japanese world number eight, who secured a dominant 3-0 victory in just 17 minutes and 35 seconds.

Matsushima claimed the match with scores of 12-10, 11-3, 11-5, controlling proceedings from start to finish and shutting out any chance of progression for the Nigerian.

The 37-year-old had gone into the match under pressure after an opening 3-0 defeat to Tomislav Pucar, where he lost 11-4, 12-10, 11-6 in their first-ever meeting.

Against Matsushima, Aruna struggled to find rhythm, managing just 18 points compared to his opponent’s 34. The Japanese star also dominated on serve, winning 20 points while conceding only seven.

Aruna recorded 11 points on serve and seven on return, briefly showing resistance with a run of five consecutive points, but it was not enough to turn the tide.

The defeat confirms Aruna’s early exit from the tournament and extends a difficult run of form on the international stage. He is now winless in his last 10 matches in major competitions, with his last victory coming against Huang Youzheng in September 2025.

His recent losses include matches against top players such as Tomokazu Harimoto, Truls Moregardh, Omar Assar, Patrick Franziska, Anders Lind, Simon Gauzy, Ovidiu Ionescu, Liang Jingkun, Zhou Qihao, and Felix Lebrun.

Despite the setback, Aruna remains the only African player to have reached a World Cup quarter-final, achieving the feat in 2014 in Dusseldorf.

Nigeria’s campaign in Macao ends with his exit, as attention now shifts to the upcoming World Team Table Tennis Championships in London later this month.