There is something about Xie Xingfang that is unlike any other badminton player. A sense of fragility outside, yet strength inside. Her height her tiny legs and arms make her resemble a fragile Chinese doll. And her grace on court is a bless for badminton who found in her one of her best ambassadors.

Xie was born January 8th 1981, in Guangzhou, Guangdong province in China, from a middle class family. Yet unlike what her destiny showed later on, her first big title was won in the woman double event, with her provincial team mate Zhang Jiewen, in the world junior championships in 1998.

Yet once she entered the Chinese national team, she switched to singles, in between two generations, the one of Gong Ruina, Zhou Mi and Zhang Ning, and the following one, which is now filled with impressive talents amongst which Wang Lin, 17, who just won the China Open.

Being part of such a strong team has its good and bad sides. The good side, of course, is the sparring which is needless to say the very best in the world. And being part of a winning team always makes it easier to get stronger mentally because of the confidence surrounding, even if Xie Xingfang, in her early age, lacked confidence. This was her Achilles tendon until a couple of years ago.

The bad side of being a Chinese shuttler is that there isn’t room for everyone, and she learned the hard way that China couldn’t send more than 3 players in the Olympics.

She had to stay home for the greatest event of all, in Athens in 2004, when she could have pretended being the champion. And while her boyfriend Lin Dan was struggling to get over his first round defeat in Greece, she was there, all night, to answer his text messages to cheer him up.

Yet the tall Guangzhou shuttler got her time around when the post Olympic tournaments saw the best other Chinese players either staying home or not being as efficient on court because of the one year stress of the Olympic qualification period.

This was a bless in disguise for Xie, who then took one title after the other, building on that confidence that she had been lacking all these years. And this made her one of the strongest players in the world, if not the strongest.

She has the vision, the technique, the stamina and an incredible touch, helped with a big reach and impressive height - over 1.79 metres. Waiting for her time to come, Xie was on her way to become the best in the world.

Victories are countless, but ever since her first big title in the Grand Prix circuit, in Indonesia in 2003. Then came other great victories, in Denmark, China, Indonesia again and Germany in 2004, then in Germany in 2005, but her best two titles were scooped at the All England, in 2004 and 2005, and of course the long awaited World Championships crown, taken off her friend and team mate’s head, Zhang Ning, in the land of Disney world last year.

Known as a rather reserved player, she however knows how to enjoy herself. Shopping and spending money could be taken as one of her favourite hobbies. Her boyfriend Lin Dan has understood that fact and is often overwhelming her with expensive presents that she wears in pride. Fashion is her soft spot and she admitted recently that she wouldn’t mind becoming a model at some point of her career.

Her relation with Lin Dan, also the current world number one, makes the headlines in Chinese magazines. They have been dating for 3 years now, matching a little before the All England 2003, and keeping a point to always celebrate their anniversary in the big wheel over Birmingham.

She and Lin will definitely be key figures for the Chinese Uber Cup and Thomas Cup teams for the event in Tokyo and Sendai...