Not-so-Super Dan sliding toward a muted departure

Lin Dan is regarded as the best badminton player of all time, but his dominance is on the decline and Chinese fans and media are readying his career obituary.

Widely known as "Super Dan" during his heyday, the 35-year-old lost in the opening round of the Hong Kong Open last week - the ninth time in 19 tournaments this year he has lost in the first round.

Still, the former world No 1, who has won every major prize in badminton - some of them multiple times - appears determined to go for a third Olympic title at the 2020 Tokyo Games.