Lin Dan advances into World Championships 2nd round

Home favorite Lin Dan, seeded ninth, defeated Mark Caljouw of the Netherlands with two 21-14 here on Monday, marching toward his sixth men's singles title in the BWF World Championships.

"Although it seems to be an easy win in terms of score but it's actually a tough struggle. It's good for me to play an opener as such," Lin said, "I was playing a big guy today. I have watched his matches before and know he has very solid defence."

Lin Dan plays in the opening round of the BWF World Championships in Nanjing on July 30, 2018. [Photo: Weibo/CCTV5]

Super Dan went into the match with good form, taking an early 12-4 lead in the first game. But Caljouw staged a strong fight-back later and closed the gap to 2 points by winning 6 in a row. The experience worked just in time as Lin quickly restored himself and answered with another 6-point winning streak before sealed the first game 21-14.

The second was much closer from the beginning, but the 35-year-old Lin regained his momentum when led by 16-14, winning five straight points to wrap up the victory and dispatch away the opponent who is 12 years younger than him.

"Considering my age, I was very clear that I had no advantages in terms of physical prowess. I should rely more on my experience and the ability to adjust during the match," the former world no.1 said.

Lin's last major title was the Malaysia Open in April 2017 and he had finished runner-up at the All England Open in March when he lost to his Chinese compatriot Shi Yuqi in the final.