But on Sept 27, the 24-year-old kept his nerve and stayed sharp to earn the biggest win of his professional career. He defeated Hong Kong's world No. 16 and top seed Lee Cheuk Yiu 21-18, 21-16 in the Macau Open quarter-finals at the Macau East Asian Games Dome.
The seventh seed told The Straits Times: "Yes, I would say I have grown in my mental fortitude, but there is still a lot to improve on in order to match the world-class players.
"I feel happy because I could see progress during the competition. I was also brave enough to take him on and be more consistent with my playing style."
The world No. 44 will take on Hong Kong's 49th-ranked Jason Gunawan on Sept 28 for a place in the final of the US$210,000 (S$269,400) tournament.
The other semi-final will be contested between Hong Kong's world No. 25 Angus Ng and Indonesia's 47th-ranked Alwi Farhan.
This story is from the September 28, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the September 28, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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