by Simon Daish
Quadri Aruna lost out to Gao Ning (SIN) in the seven ends to make it two defeats from two matches for the Nigerian at the tournament.
Victory for Aruna was required to keep him in with a chance of making the Round of 16 and he made a positive start to the match against Gao by moving 0-2 in front.
Then game three changed the complexion of the duel as Gao edged to a 16-14 win, before adding another two game wins to his name to turn the match on its head with a 3-2 lead in his favour.
Momentum was firmly in Gao Ning’s court and although Quadri Aruna did manage to level the scores at three games apiece, it was the Singapore player who stood victorious (5-11, 6-11, 16-14, 11-6, 11-8, 7-11, 13-11).
After his exit was confirmed Quadri Aruna spoke about how the significant difference in high level competition experience proved to be the determining factor in the match, “I gave my best, but I made a lot of mistakes during crucial stages. I think he is more experienced and that really worked for him. I was also unlucky to have missed many chances.”
Aruna continued to praise Gao Ning’s approach to the tie, “I knew that it was going to be 50-50 against him because he is a top player. He was also more calm during match and I can conclude that his experience saved him. I hope to do better next time.”
The one remaining tie in group 4 saw Gao Ning take on Pär Gerell (SWE) to settle the dispute for top spot.
Pär Gerell appears to be in good form at the World Cup after he backed up his morning win over Quardi Aruna with an emphatic triumph against Gao Ning (11-2, 11-7, 11-9, 11-6), and the Swedish contestant is hoping to continue his success on day two of the event.
“I think I was bit more relaxed in this match because I had already qualified. For me beating Gao Ning was not surprising because we were teammates in the French League for six years and I know his style of play. Winning all my group matches was a great moment for me in this competition and I hope I can also be successful in the next round.” – Pär Gerell (Sweden).