KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 — National men’s doubles shuttler Muhammad Haikal Nazri is determined to put an end to his string of first-round exits this season when he begins the European tournament series at the German Open next week.

Muhammad Haikal, who partners with Chong Hong Jian, admitted he has yet to rediscover his best form and hopes the tournament will help him regain his rhythm.

“In terms of my performances in previous tournaments, I’m still not satisfied because I’ve been knocked out in the first round several times.

“So I’m not setting a high target for now...my immediate goal is simply to get past the first round first,” he said when met recently.

On the injury that had sidelined him earlier, Haikal confirmed he has fully recovered.

However, he acknowledged that he still experiences slight apprehension each time he steps onto the court, wary of aggravating the injury.

“Every time I compete, I really want to win, but at the same time, I don’t want to get injured again. There’s still a bit of fear, although it’s not too serious,” he said.

At the German Open, Muhammad Haikal and Hong Jian are set for a stern test in the opening round against the world No. 3 pair from China, Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang. — Bernama