Unmatched genius and an enigmatic personality to the core, Chinese superstar Lin Dan has taken the international badminton by storm despite coming back after a year's break leaving his rival shuttlers here at the Thomas Cup in awe of the maverick who goes by the nickname 'Super Dan'.
Two-time Olympic champion, five-time world champion and a five-time All England champion, the 30-year-old Dan is unsurprisingly considered the greatest badminton player of all time.
The former world number one, who is also well-known for his mercurial temper, is a cult figure in his country and has legions of fans all over the world for his remarkable range of strokes and the ability to go from offensive to defensive to offensive again in a matter of minutes.
And the left-hander's magic has enchanted all at the ongoing Thomas Cup as well. Whether it is the Indian shuttlers or their international counterparts, the buzz at the court is just how has 'Super Dan' managed to be so consistently good for so long.
"It is kind of mystery how he comes back and wins. He has not been playing for a year and it is kind of cool to go on winning after a break," said Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark.
"I know he has been practising, you can see it by the way he is playing. He has been doing a lot of hard work and he is still hungry to do well, win some tournaments and I am looking forward to play him sometime," he added.
The world no.
