(London, GBR) - Even though Olympic champion Lin Dan made an impressive winning start to the world championships, he still sees the week as a preparation for the defence of his title at the Games next year.
"I don't consider too much about the result (of this tournament)," Lin commented, despite some dazzling reflex defence in a sparkling 21-11, 21-10 win over Kestutis Navickas, the world number 40 from Lithuania.
"I just want to get the feel of the conditions here," he said of the Wembley stadium which will also be used for badminton at the London 2012 Olympics.
"I don't really mind about the world championships," the Chinese star continued, talking through an interpreter. "But I do want to get (world ranking) qualifying points here for the Olympics."
This suggested that Lin's performance may be sharper here than it was during the world championships in Paris last year, when he lost limply in the last 16.
On Tuesday he showed glimpses of the brilliance which made him the only player ever to win three world men's singles titles.
Once he blocked the shuttle back for a winner from almost off his chest, and on another occasion he defended nimbly and then casually sliced the shuttle on to the floor as though the court were acres wide.
Only rarely though did he employ the fiery leaping smashes followed by the lunging kills which helped make him the world's most spectacular player at his peak.
Lin also showed flashes of humour, comically pumping his arm when Navickas let a high clear drop, only for the shuttle to fall in.
On another occasion when he blocked and jabbed his way out of a tight corner, he ironically displayed his fist, which brought smiles and applause from the crowd.
Despite this, there was insufficient evidence as to whether the second-seeded superstar has enough desire and commitment to regain the title from his compatriot Chen Jin.
His compatriot Wang Shixian, the favourite to take the women's singles, looked mobile focused and defensively very resilient as she overcame Linda Zechiri of Bulgaria 21-11, 21-14.
"There are no weak opponents at the world championships, and, despite the score, it was quite difficult," Wang said.
But for a first round match, and as an exercise in getting used to the conditions, she certainly did much to minimize the difficulty.
