PETALING JAYA: After long harbouring hopes of joining the world’s elite, independent men’s singles shuttler Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin now has a golden chance to test himself when he goes up against Asia Championships runner-up Lu Guangzu today.
The 24-year-old will take on the world No. 14 in the second round of the Thailand Open at the Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok and this will be their first-ever meeting on the international stage.
Last week at the Taiwan Open, Aidil had the chance to test himself against world No. 9 Chou Tien-chen, but experience proved the difference as the Malaysian went down 14-21, 16-21 in just 37 minutes.
Last week at the Taiwan Open, Aidil had the opportunity to take on world No. 9 Chou Tien-chen, but found the seasoned campaigner too hot to handle and lost 14-21, 16-21 in just 37 minutes. Tien-chen went on to finish as the runner-up in the tournament.
Today’s clash against Guangzu offers Aidil a shot at redemption and it will be a true test of his credentials as he aims to break into the world’s top 32 by the end of the year.
Chinese players were once viewed as unbeatable, but that perception no longer intimidates Aidil. He has already claimed a few scalps this year, including Zhang Ning and Wang Zijun at the China Masters in March, though those opponents were ranked much lower than Guangzu.
Yesterday, Aidil got his campaign off to a strong start by battling past world No. 32 Wang Zhengxing 21-12, 19-21, 21-18 in the opening round.
A victory over Guangzu today would be a significant confidence boost and a statement of intent from the Selangor-born shuttler.
“I won today because I dared to go for my shots, and it paid off.
“As for Lu Guangzu, I know he’s the stronger player, but I’m not going to overthink it. I’m just going to go all out and give everything I’ve got,” said Aidil when contacted.
Aidil has spent most of his career competing in lower-tier tournaments such as the International Challenge and International Series, and occasionally in Super 100 events.
He has made the most of those opportunities and has already picked up one title this year at the Sri Lanka International in early March. It was his first title since winning the Indonesia International two years ago.
In 2022, when he made his debut in a Super 500 event at the Korea Open, his campaign ended in the qualifying round.
