Wakil tunggal negara dalam Siri Super Premier Terbuka China, Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin, mencipta sejarah peribadi apabila mengesahkan kemaraan ke separuh akhir dalam saingan elit badminton dunia.
Pencapaian terbaik Iskandar dalam saingan bertaraf Siri Super adalah dalam pusingan kedua Terbuka Malaysia, Australia dan Korea Selatan.
Di Fuzhou, China, Iskandar menewaskan antara bintang muda mereka, Qiao Bin, dengan straight set 21-19, 21-7 untuk ke separuh akhir.
"Saya gembira kerana dapat bermain dengan agak baik hari ini.
"Permainan saya ada peningkatan dari segi kemahiran.
"Ramai yang membantu saya, khususnya ahli fisioterapi ISN (Institut Sukan Negara) dan juga para jurulatih," katanya ketika dihubungi.
Sebelum ini, dia disifatkan berdepan krisis prestasi sebagai perseorangan kedua negara apabila tersingkir dalam pusingan pertama Siri Super Terbuka Denmark dan Perancis.
Dia turut berkongsi perbezaan positif di China menjelang aksi separuh akhir berdepan Jan O Jorgensen esok.
Dalam pertemuan terakhir dengan pemain Denmark itu, Iskandar ditunjukkan jalan keluar dalam pusingan kedua Terbuka Malaysia, April lalu.
"Kat China ini saya nampak bola agak perlahan dalam keadaan yang agak berangin.
"Ia membuatkan saya lebih selesa ketika bertahan."
Shaiful Shamsudin
Fri Nov 18 2016
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