Badminton superstars Lin Dan of China and Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia can see their old rivalry spark once again, as both players have invited the prospect of a semi-final match at the world championships in Jakarta, Indonesia.
In their most recent games, Lin and Lee eased their way to the second round of the championships after they emerged victorious in their respective matches.
Fifth-seeded Lin won over United States' Sattawat Pongnairat with a score of 21-8 and 21-11. Meanwhile, the unseeded Lee overpowered Lithuania's Kestutis Nevickas at 21-9 and 21-13.
Two-time Olympic medalist Lin is optimistic that the return of Lee would increase the games' level of competition. His Malaysian arch-rival returned last May, following an eight-month doping ban.
"Of course I am looking forward to meeting with Lee in the semifinals. I would love to play with Lee again," Lin, who is also a five-time champion, shared.
The road to semifinals is not an easy one for both badminton superstars, as they are also grouped with other seeded players in the upcoming rounds.
While Lin will have a probable match with second-seeded Dane Jan O Jorgensen, ninth-seeded Son Wan-ho and 14th-seeded Hans-Kristian Vittinghus, Lee will possibly play against third-seeded Srikanth Kidambi, eighth-seeded Wang Zhengmin, 12th-seeded Wiebler or 13th-seeded Hu Yun.
Meanwhile, Lee, who has realized that spectators are raring to see his rivalry with Lin at the badminton court once again, remarked that he "will give [his] best performance if the [duel] occurs."
"This could be our last game, because maybe next year we will retire," the 32-year-old player added.
The 31-year-old Lin shared the sentiment, saying that if one considers their age, "[they have] had few opportunities to play."