World No. 6 Hugo Calderano has sent warning signals to local hero Quadri Aruna and other stars listed for the WTT Contender Lagos after the Brazilian claimed the men’s singles title at the WTT Contender Rio de Janeiro 2024.
The Brazilian, who is one of the star players heading to Nigeria for the second edition of the first WTT Series in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In front of the Brazilian fans, Calderano successfully shielded himself by defeating 6th seed An Jaehyun of South Korea in straight games (11-7, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6).
Top seed in Rio and favourite from the opening match, Calderano’s journey to the title was one of redemption. In the 2023 edition of the event, Calderano made an early exit, losing his opening match.
In 2024, atonement was achieved as Calderano took his sixth WTT Series title, his first this season, in emphatic fashion.
“I feel amazing. It’s an amazing atmosphere here, playing here at home. I’m very happy to have won this title here. It was very important to me to win in front of my whole family and a lot of fans from Brazil. I’m delighted to win the trophy,” said Calderano.
Calderano was in sizzling form, dropping just one game on his way to the title this week. The dazzling play by the Rio locals was driven by the fans in yellow and green in the crowd. From the stands, there were cheers for every point as the bleachers sounded their trumpets and beat their drums. It was a victory that was homegrown in every sense of the word.
“Sport is never easy, but it’s all worth it when you have moments like this. It was a great, great atmosphere here, so thank you very much to everyone that supported me in the venue and also at home. Thank you all very much,” the Brazilian star added.
