The manner that Aruna Quadri defeated Belgium’s Florent Lambient again showed his readiness to excel at the 2019 ITTF World Championships holding in Budapest, Belgium.
But it was an early exit for Egypt’s Omar Assar after he fell 4-3 to Portugal’s Joao Geraldo in the first round of the men’s singles.
Africa’s only surviving female player in the competition remains Egypt’s Dina Meshref after her compatriots – Yousra Helmy and Reem El-Eraky tasted defeats in the first round matches of the women’s singles.
From the start of the encounter against the Belgian, Quadri took charge and he ensured that he did not give the European any breathing space even though there were some jittery in the first two games.
The African champion claimed the first two games in a closed encounter with 11-8, 11-9 and from there his confidence grew to end the next two games at 11-7, 11-5.
On the opposite side of Quadri was Egypt’s Assar battling for his life against the Portuguese southpaw who has always been his nemesis in several competitions.
Assar was leading 3-1, but the Portuguese star fought back to end the dream of the Egyptian in the first round at 11-13, 11-8, 8-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-9.
Yousra Helmy was set up against world number one, Ning Ding but the Chinese star wasted no time in sending the Egyptian packing with a 4-0 bashing.
Reem El-Eraky was also no match to Ukraine’s Ganna Gaponova as the Egyptian fell 4-0 as well.
Cameroun’s Sarah Hanffou who was playing in her first main draw of a World Championships could withstand the pace of China’s Manyu Wang to concede 0-4 defeat as well.
The only hope for Africa rests with Dina Meshref who came from 3-0 down to beat India’s Archana Girish Kamath 4-3 (8-11, 8-11, 17-19, 11-8, 11-6, 11-7, 11-4)
Aruna Quadri will battle Iran’s Nima Alamian while Meshref will take on Canada’s Mo Zhang in the second round tie later.