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
England stars out cheaply as Dukes ball returns to County Championship
Warwickshire captain Alex Davies was the only player to score a century on Friday as the third round of matches began.
Emma Raducanu’s run at Stuttgart Open ended by world number one Iga Swiatek
The 21-year-old Briton had been boosted by winning four successive matches for the first time since her US Open title in 2021.
Man Utd appoint Jason Wilcox as new technical director after leaving Southampton
The 53-year-old former Premier League winner previously worked as Manchester City’s academy director.
Maya Le Tissier signs new deal with Manchester United
The England defender has signed a contract extension.
'Lot of value' in Warriors keeping Curry, Green and Thompson together, says Kerr
Klay Thompson is set to enter free agency, raising the prospect of the Golden State Warriors' iconic trio being broken up this offseason.
Cole Palmer has nothing to prove to City, says Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino
The Blues forward faces his former team in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Jack Grealish: FA Cup semi-final the perfect game to ‘put right’ European exit
Manchester City face Chelsea on Saturday looking to bounce back from the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid,
What has caused the row over FA Cup replays and what happens next?
All replays from the first round have been scrapped for next season.
Leonard questionable for Game 1 versus Mavs as Clippers monitor 'unpredictable' situation
Kawhi Leonard faces a battle to be available for Game 1 of the Los Angeles Clippers' first-round showdown with the Dallas Mavericks.