KUALA LUMPUR: Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin is slowly but surely finding his feet as a professional shuttler.
The 24-year-old, who was dropped from the national team by BAM earlier this year, is going from strength to strength at the Indonesia Masters Super 100 II, securing a quarter-final spot in Surabaya on Thursday.
World No. 124 Aidil triumphed over Taiwan's Tsai Cheng Han 21-14, 16-21, 21-17, staying on course to reach his third semi-final in four tournaments.
Aidil has been in impressive form of late, reaching the semi-finals at the Malaysia International Challenge in September and the Indonesia International Challenge last week, also in Surabaya.
Building on his solid performance this week, he dispatched world No. 40 and top seed Kiran George of India in the second round with a convincing 23-21, 21-12 victory. Aidil will face Vietnam's Nguyen Hai Dang in the quarter-finals.
It appears that Aidil has found a new lease of life under Indonesian Nova Armada, who also coaches two-time Paralympic gold medallist Cheah Liek Hou.
Nova brought Aidil onboard in August as a sparring partner— a decision that proved beneficial for Liek Hou who went on to clinch gold at the Paris Paralympics.
Previously, after he was dropped from the main squad, Aidil had been offered to remain with the national team as a sparring partner.
Another former national shuttler making significant strides this week is Shaqeem Eiman Shahyar. He advanced to his first quarter-final this year after a hard-fought 9-21, 23-21, 21-17 victory over Taiwan's Cheng Kai.
He will next face Indonesia's Prahdiska Bagas Shujiwo.
Two other Malaysians, Eogene Ewe and Ong Zhen Yi fell in Surabaya. Eogene, 19, who survived the recent downsizing by BAM, fell 22-20, 21-13 to second seed Alwi Farhan of Indonesia, whilst Zhen Yi was outmatched by another home favourite and fourth seed Yohannes Marcellyno, 21-18, 21-10.
In the women's singles, K. Letshanaa progressed whilst Wong Ling Ching bowed out.
Letshanaa edged past Indonesia's Bilqis Prasista 21-15, 21-17, but Ling Ching succumbed in an energy-sapping battle against Ni Kadek Pratiwi, losing 21-16, 23-25, 21-11.