BEIJING - BADMINTON'S Olympic and world champion Lin 'Super' Dan will make his first appearance of the season at next month's All-England Championships.

The Chinese player took a prolonged break after complaining of exhaustion and skipped this season's first two tournaments in South Korea and Malaysia.

But the 26-year-old said he was fighting fit to try to defend the title he won last year. 'I was not physically ready for the past two international events,' Lin told the China Daily.

'I was really tired after a busy 2009. After a period of break ... I feel much better. It's the start of the year and a very important event for me.' Lin was almost unbeatable in international competitions in 2009 - playing 39 matches and losing only twice - but plans to reduce the number of tournaments he plays in this year.

'As a young player you have to play as many matches as possible in order to gain experience,' he said. 'As a veteran you should choose high-quality competition as the best way to stay healthy and remain in peak competitive form.'