Returning Lin chases sixth All-England title

By Rod Gilmour BIRMINGHAM, England, (Reuters) - Double Olympic champion Lin Dan will launch his bid to become the fourth male singles player to win six All-England badminton titles when the sport's oldest tournament begins on Wednesday. China's most decorated singles performer last appeared at the 105-year-old championships in 2012, when he won his fifth crown, and returns this year after taking time away from the sport. Another triumph for the 31-year-old world number six would put him alongside former champions Frank Devlin of Ireland, Denmark's Erland Kops and Indonesian Rudy Hartono. One of the competitors standing in fifth-seeded Lin's way is compatriot Chen Long, the world champion who won the All-England crown in 2013. Chen, the top seed, plays a qualifier in his opening match while Lin faces Hong Kong's Wei Nan. Defending champion Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia will be missing while he serves a ban after failing a doping test at the world championships in August. "It is a shame when the very best players in the world are unable to compete," Badminton England chief executive Adrian Christy told Reuters. "It will be a shame that Chong Wei won't be able to renew his rivalry with Lin Dan as we have enjoyed some amazing rivalries between those two." Elsewhere, Indonesia's fifth-seeded pair Tantowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir are aiming to win their fourth mixed doubles title in a row. Their quest looks likely to hinge on a potentialquarter-final clash with England's Chris and Gabby Adcock, ranked sixth in the world. The Commonwealth champions are looking to overturn a decade of Asian dominance in Birmingham and begin their assault on Wednesday against Indonesia's Markis Kido and Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth, a brother-sister combination. The last time Britain gained success at the championships was 10 years ago when Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms lifted the mixed doubles title. (Editing by Tony Jimenez)