MALAYSIA MASTERS: AIDIL SHOLEH FIRED UP FOR REDEMPTION ON HOME TURF

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 (Bernama) -- National professional men’s singles shuttler, Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin is eyeing redemption against Taiwan’s Chou Tien Chen in the qualifying round of the Malaysia Masters 2025, which gets underway this Tuesday at the Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil here. 

Competing on home turf, Aidil Sholeh believes the host advantage will give him a much-needed boost to upset the seasoned Taiwanese player and secure a spot in the tournament’s main draw.

“Playing in front of the home crowd gives me that extra motivation. I know it won’t be easy, but my goal is to make it into the main draw. If I can get past Tien Chen, it would be a great start,” he said during a training session at Axiata Arena today.

The Selangor-born player last faced Chou at the Taiwan Open earlier this month but suffered a straight-sets defeat, 14-21, 16-21, in the second round.

Reflecting on that match, the 25-year-old admitted the loss was largely due to his unforced errors,  a costly lesson he hopes to turn around at the Malaysia Masters.

“I was too impatient in Taiwan and made too many mistakes. If I can cut down on those, I believe I can put up a strong fight,” he said confidently.

Meanwhile, Aidil Sholeh expressed satisfaction with his performance at the Thailand Open last week, where he upset China’s world No. 32 Wang Zheng Xing 21-12, 19-21, 21-17 in the opening round.

However, his campaign ended in the second round after falling to another Chinese contender, Lu Guang Zu, in a tight three-setter: 21-18, 16-21, 14-21.

Now riding on that momentum, the world No 48 is fired up to deliver his best performance at home and make an impact in the Super 500 tournament.

-- BERNAMA