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Aruna faces World No. 6 at WTT Chongqing

Aruna faces World No. 6 at WTT Chongqing
**Quadri Aruna Faces Tough Test at WTT Chongqing** Nigeria's ace table tennis player Quadri Aruna will be back in action at the WTT Champions Chongqing tournament on Tuesday. The competition will be tough for Aruna as he takes on France's Félix Lebrun, currently ranked world No. 6. This is Aruna's third WTT tournament of the season, and he is still searching for his first win of the year. His previous two matches at the WTT Star Contender Doha and the Singapore Smash in February did not go in his favor. Interestingly, Tuesday's match against Lebrun will be their third encounter, with one win for Aruna from their previous meetings. His last victory over the Frenchman was a hard-fought 3–2 win at the WTT Contender Durban in South Africa in January 2023. However, Lebrun has been in good form lately, losing just one of his last five matches. The 19-year-old Frenchman recorded 3–0 and 3–2 victories over Aruna in their two previous meetings this year. Aruna's recent form is a concern as he is winless in his last five matches on the WTT circuit. On the other hand, Lebrun suffered a 4–1 defeat to world No. 1 Wang Chuqin at the Singapore Smash earlier this month, but that's his only loss in five matches. Before heading to Chongqing, Aruna represented Nigeria at the ITTF Africa Cup in February, where he exited in the semi-finals after losing to Algeria's Mehdi Bouloussa. At last year's WTT Champions Chongqing, Aruna lost 3–0 to Wang Chuqin in the opening round, and he will be hoping for better fortune against Lebrun this time. This will be a thrilling encounter between two top players, and Nigeria will be watching with bated breath as Aruna battles to overcome his recent slump and make a statement at the WTT Chongqing tournament.
Source: Original Article • AI-enhanced version for clarity & Nigerian context