Quadri/Assar rated number six as ITTF unveils doubles seeding list

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has unveiled seeding list for the doubles events of the ITTF Challenge Nigeria Open ‘Lagos 2017.’In the men’s doubles seeding list, India’s duo of Gnanasekaran Sathiyan and Shetty Sanil are number one, while France’s Antoine Hachard and Gregoire Jean are number two in the list.

India’s Sarthak Gandhi and Italy’s Carlo Rossi are number three, while men’s singles defending champion, Finland’s BenedekOlah and Hungary’s Marton Szita are number four, with Portugal’s Pedro Jose Francisco and Egypt’s Ahmed Saleh the fifth seed.

The only Nigerian in the men’s doubles seeding is Aruna Quadri, who will partner Egypt’s Omar Assar, is seeded number six. Romania’s Alexandru Cazacu and Rares Sipos are number seven, while Egypt’s Khalid Assar and Mohamed El-Beiali are number eight seed.

In the women’s doubles seeding, Egypt dominates the rating with African doubles champion, Egypt’s Yousra Helmy and Dina Meshref as number seed, while their compatriots, Farah Abdel-Aziz and Amira Yousry, are number two.

Nigeria’s Olufunke Oshonaike will partner women’s singles defending champion, Portugal’s Jieni Shao in the third seed, while doubles defending champion, Russia’s Irina Ermakova and Olga Kulikova are seeded number four.

Another host nation pair that made the doubles seeding list is Cecilia Akpan and Janet Effiom, who are seeded number five, while Ukraine’s Ganna Farladanska and Italy’s Giorgia Piccolin are number six.Hungary’s Bernadett Balint and Szandra Pergel are seventh seed, while India’s Krittwika Roy and Reeth Tennison are eight seed.

Two Nigerians made the seeding list in the U-21 singles rating for the championship, with Azeez Solanke seeded number two behind Italy’s Carlo Rossi, who is number one seed.

Esther Oribamise is seeded number three in the women’s U-21 singles behind Italy’s Giorgia Piccolin and Egypt’s Amira Yousry, who are seeded number one and two respectively.