Despite competing in several competitions this year, Aruna Quadri as the best African performer has missed out from the end-of-the-year ITTF World Tour Grand Finals scheduled for December 12 to 15 in Zhengzhou, China.
According to the qualification criteria, top 16 sinlges’ players and eight pairs in the doubles and mixed doubles are expected to make it to the 2019 World Tour Grand Finals.
Quadri featured in eight events across the globe to amass 120 points with Bulgarian Open being his best outing as he finished in the semi-final.
However, the 2019 Nigeria Open Champion failed to make the cut after finishing 29th among the top 30 listed for qualification.
Also, for being the eventual runners up at the Austrian Open and this meant that on the men’s singles standings, China’s Zhao Zihao climbed from the number 21 spot (189 points) to number.13 (489 points); likewise in the women’s singles order of merit, his compatriot – Qian Tianyi advanced from number 24 (164 points) to claim the very last position no.16 (364 points).
Similarly, on the men’s singles standings there was major progress for Germany’s Timo Boll, he started play in the no.15 spot (344 points), a semi-final finish meant he ended the year at no.10 (544 points).
Progress for Timo Boll it was the same for Fan Zhendong, the eventual winner in Linz and the player who had beaten Timo Boll in a dramatic semi-final; he climbed from no.4 (1,007 points) to no.2 (1,507 points).