Can Lin Dan revive the glory days?

Lin Dan is at the strangest moment of his badminton career. Never before has he faced the questions that confront him now.

The Badminton Asia Championships (ABC) is an event he has never considered seriously before; but it is an event he needs to win now. As he enters the contest as No.2 seed, he will look at the tournament to regain some of the confidence with which he dominated world badminton for the better part of the last decade.

The three-time world champion has been a shadow of himself since the Worlds in Hyderabad last year. China decided to focus on building its domestic league instead of sending its players to Super Series events, and a reluctant Dan was forced to lead his squad. A shock loss in the league followed, and since then, he has been at the lowest ebb of his badminton life.

Dan is known as a gutsy fighter whose losses in any year can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Yet, after the Worlds, he lost to players either way below his level, or to opponents he has always had the measure of.

At the 100th All England in March, Dan looked off-colour during his loss to countryman Bao Chunlai in the quarters. At the Swiss Open he lost to  Peter Gade for the first time in three years. With an erratic genius like Taufik Hidayat, these would have been normal occurrences, but Dan hates to lose. With the Thomas Cup coming up, Dan will be eager to win a tournament that will be minus his most dangerous competitors.

Taufik Hidayat will obviously be the centre of attention. But there are a few others who could cause a few flutters. Chief among them could be Kenichi Tago of Japan, whose display at the All England assured observers that a new phenomenon was on the way. Choi Ho Jin, who had an upset win over Lin Dan late last year, could be another who could spring a surprise. Then there are Chinese young guns Wang Zhengming and Gao Huan; Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana and Tanongsak, and Indonesia’s Dionysius Rumbaka.

In the women’s singles, Saina Nehwal should be able to breeze through to the semis. Perhaps the hardest contest could come in the last four from Hong Kong’s Yip Pui Yin

Gayatri bows out in qualifying: Gayatri Vartak fell in the qualifying draw of the women’s singles on Monday. Gayatri beat Chandrika de Silva (S L) in the first round, but fell to Liu Xin of China 21-12 21-11 in the second.