Chinese badminton star Lin Dan received a thunderous ovation on Sunday for rallying team China to beat Germany 5-0 on the opening day of the BWF Sudirman Cup.
"Super" Dan made it 2-0 for the defending champions after beating Marc Zwiebler in men's singles in two straight 21-11. Xu Chen and Ma Jin, the world No. 2 pair, earlier won the opening mixed doubles over Michael Fuchs and Birgit Michels 21-16, 22-20.
"If you just looked at the points, you may find it easy to win. But in fact, it was very difficult in process as the opponent put his best efforts in," said the 31-year-old Dan, who has won all major badminton titles including two Olympic gold medals.
"I cannot be relaxed for each single point. Instead, I need to perform in 100-percent form. The competition in our team is very fierce as there are many good young players. I need to convince everyone that I'm Ok to continue," Dan said, adding that he intends to compete in his fourth Olympics in Rio next year.
Chai Biao and Hong Wei secured a tie in men's doubles under the best-of-five rule when Michael Fuchs and Johannes Schoettler retired due to injury, with China leading 13-10 in the first game.
The top-ranked Li Xuerui initially met resistance against Karin Schnaase, tying the first game 17-17, but the London Olympics champion made an error-free second game at 21-17 and rallied to win game three at 21-8.
"Though I know China has clinched the victory before my game, I still need to fight for each point. It's the team event. Each point and game is crucial," said Li.
In women's doubles, Tang Yuanting and Yu Yang defeated Isabel Herttrich and Birgit Michels 21-14, 21-14, giving China a dominating 5-0 lead.
The 14th edition of the tournament, which is scheduled to run from May 10-17, opened on Sunday to a packed arena at the Dongguan Sports and Cultural Center in Guangdong Province.
Held every two years, the Sudirman Cup is the World Team Badminton Championships and one of the most prestigious titles in badminton.