Lin Dan ready to serve Danish delight

ODENSE: Lin Dan celebrated his 31st birthday with a promise – to give his best and give the fans a real show.

And he intends to do that starting with the Denmark Open, which has already lost two drawcards – world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei and Japan’s world No. 4 Kenichi Tago.

“I really just want to enjoy the tournament. I’m tired after the Asian Games but not tired enough ... and it’s really nice to come here where the fans really come out to cheer for you,” said Lin Dan on Tuesday.

“I stopped coming to Denmark a few years ago because it wasn’t beneficial to me as I had bigger tournaments ... such as the Olympics to compete in.

“It’s fortunate that I managed to do so because not many players can afford to take the same kind of breaks.

“The difference is that I’m not targeting myself to win tournaments anymore ... it’s just to play my best. And for that, I believe I respect my opponents a lot more and I feel more calm. 

“It was a shame I didn’t get to play in the Thomas Cup final, so it was important for me to help the team at the Asian Games. Unfortunately, we didn’t win either.

“With my target being the Rio Olympics in 2016 ... and maybe even Tokyo in 2020, there’s a lot of work to do,” added Lin Dan, who will take on Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen in the first round today (Wednesday).

Five-time world champion Lin Dan also spoke about Chong Wei’s need for some timeout.

The Malaysian ace was scheduled to compete in the ongoing Denmark Open and the French Open next week but pulled out at the eleventh hour in order to rest.

Lin Dan, who won his second Asian Games gold medal in Incheon, believes Chong Wei did the right thing. 

“For an elite player who is getting older, but still plays at the highest level, I think it should be normal for him to take a break,” said Lin Dan, who is no stranger to taking long sabbaticals himself. 

“He should because he is not only a badminton player these days ... he is also a father and a husband.

“I think he is a fantastic family man but he definitely needs more time with them and it shouldn’t be an issue if he wants to take a break.”