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Aruna first African in Olympic quarters after ousting German star paddler Boll

Xinhua, August 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

Nigeria's Quadric Aruna proved himself the true giant-killer in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games table tennis tournament after showing the door out to German veteran Timo Boll here on Monday.

The unexpected victory made Aruna the first African ever in an Olympic quarterfinal of table tennis.

"It feels so good!" said Aruna, who turns 28 on Tuesday. "It's like a dream come true. I didn' t expect to go far like this, though I actually believe in myself. Be in quarterfinals is like a miracle to me. I really can' t explain what has been going on."

Rushing into the last 16 as the underdog, Aruna went surprisingly three sets up with fierce attacks before the former world No. 1 German finally found the right rhythm against the unpredictable Nigerian to pull two sets back.

It's too late for Boll to manage a total comeback, however, losing 12-10, 12-10, 11-5, 3-11, 5-11, 11-9.

"When I was 3-0 up, Timo blocked almost all my attacks," said Aruna. "I think I was lucky that it didn't go 3-3 because I would have no chance to play against Timo at that time."

"Timo is amazing. He never gave up, even when I put a lot of pressure on him," he added.

It has been Boll' s fifth Olympic Games and the fourth time that the once European "Golden Boy" failed to qualify for the quarters.

"A lot of people were very surprised about Quadric Aruna, not expecting him playing such a high level," said the 35-year-old. "It's also my first time playing him. I really needed a few sets to get control of the game. But finally it was too late."

"He was leading 3-0 and I found better tactics to turn it 2-3, leading also in the sixth set. But he was risking a lot and he deserved to win because he played really fantastic," added Boll.

The German star paddler has been the second big-name victim under Aruna's racket after the world No. 40 made a brief through into the last 16 by beating the fifth seed Chuang Chih-Yuan of Chinese Taipei in straight sets.

Named the world table tennis governing body ITTF's Player of the Year in 2014, Aruna, who trains in Belgium, once made troubles to then world No. 1 Zhang Jike in the 2014 World Cup quarterfinals.

"The whole rhythm is different against him because he has a very strong forehand and weaker backhand, but his backhand is in a totally different rhythm, coming slow and forehand coming quite fast.

"So it's difficult to get used to it," commented Boll. "He's moving so well, and also tactically smart."

The Nigerian, however, told a post-match mixed zone that he just could not understand the ball' s rotation when it comes to force a backhand.

"It's really more difficult to play backhand. I can't understand where the ball will come with the rotations," he said.

The birthday boy will face world champion and the top seed here Ma Long of China on Tuesday in the Olympic quarterfinals. Endit