Top Ten Favorite Players

 I decided that with Nationals coming up in one week, I would do something entirely different than I usually do. I thought maybe I would write about my ten favorite players. I like these players for more than just being good at badminton...

#10 - Shoji Sato [JAPAN] Men's Singles

 I like a lot of things about Sato. He plays doubles and singles at a very high level which is very impressive to me. I also like how even though he had a successful singles career, he chose to play doubles because he liked it more. That takes courage. And I respect that. 

#9 - Lee Yong Dae [KOREA] Men's Doubles, Mixed Doubles

 The way LYD plays the front court is just ridiculous. And he is so young! And his new partnership with Shin Baek Cheol will be just awesome! He also has a lot of fame for a badminton player which is very cool too.

#8 - Joachim Persson [DENMARK] Men's Singles

 I love Joachim's style. This guy plays the attack the entire game. The only time he lifts is when his opponent is out of position. I sometimes wish I could dominate the attack as much as Joachim.

#7 - Alex Pang [CANADA] Men's Singles

 Obviously I had to include my favorite Canadian player. Alex has such a respectable work ethic. And he has a neat personality (You'll know what I'm talking about if you have read his blog.) I really hope he makes 2012 Olympics. He has been training in Indonesia for the past while.

#6 - Carsten Mogensen [DENMARK] Men's Doubles

A lot of people call Carsten unsportsmanlike. I personally love his attitude. We need these kinds of showboaters to make the game more entertaining, and show non-badminton fans how hardcore badminton can be. Carsten also has a huge smash which makes him cool in my books.

#5 - Chai Biao [CHINA] Men's Doubles

 I believe that Chai Biao and Zhang Nan will be the next Fu/Cai. I love how he controls the game. Chai likes to play ridiculously fast, with the game mostly consisting of smash/drive/smash. I like to push the speed in my own doubles game, and I copy Chai's positioning all the time.

#4 - Lee Sheng Mu [CHINESE TAIPEI] Men's Doubles, Mixed Doubles

Lee Sheng Mu has crazy jumps and huge bombs. I saw him live at last year's Canada Open and this guy is just amazing. He is so fast everywhere and he has what I like to call "Lightning Hands." 

#3 - Jan O Jorgensen [DENMARK] Men's Singles

I love the up and comers. He started off as the underdog and now has a Super Series title. Add that to his impressive victories over players like Lee Chong Wei and Taufik Hidayat and you have some pretty awesome results. Jan plays a style much like my own, he prefers the attack. But he doesn't only stick to attack. His counters are great too.

#2 - Viktor Axelsen [DENMARK] Men's Singles

 World Junior Champion. Full of energy. Sweet sponsors. Does anything else need to be said?

#1 - Lin Dan [CHINA] Men's Singles

 The Keanu Reeves of Badminton. He can play all styles, and he has won everything. Very confident also. And very entertaining.