The Yonex Japan Open women's doubles final will be a repeat of the Rio Olympics final between top seeds Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi of Japan and Denmark's No 2 seeds Christinna Pedersen-Kamilla Rytter Juhl.
It is a much awaited final after Misaki-Ayaka won the gold medal in Rio, winning a three-set thriller 18-21, 21-9, 21-19 against the Danes with the Japanese pair reeling off five points in a row in the rubber to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
In the Japan Open semi-finals on Saturday the Japanese pair ranked world No 1 defeated their compatriots Shiho Tanaka-Koharu Yonemoto 21-14, 21-19 in 46 minutes before the Danish pair got the better of third seeds Luo Ying-Luo Yu 21-13, 18-21, 21-15 in 49 minutes.
The women's doubles is the only final Japan will feature in after both their players in the women's singles – Akane Yamaguchi and Aya Ohori – were beaten in the semi-finals by their Chinese opponents.
Sun Yu, seeded No 7, beat last year's runners-up and sixth seed Akane 21-17, 21-18 in 51 minuteswhile Youth Olympic champion Bingjiao, seeded No 8, reached her first Superseries final with a 21-17, 20-22 win over Aya in 39 minutes.
It will be Asia versus Europe final in the men's singles with five-time champion and world No 1 Lee Chong Wei ruling the court with a 21-14, 21-15 win over Germany's Marc Zwiebler to stretch his head to head count to 13-0.
Jan O Jorgensen, the third seed in Tokyo came through a 21-14, 21-19 win in 47 minutes over sixth seeded Korean Son Wan-ho.
Statistics strongly favour Chong Wei to win his sixth Japan Open title. The Dane has beaten Chong Wei only once in their previous 17 meetings. Chong Wei won the titles in 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Second seeds and world champions Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan were upset by China's Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen in three sets 21-13, 18-21, 21-15 in the men's doubles. The Chinese will play Koreans Kim Gi-jung-Ko Sung-hyun, who beat Japan hopefuls Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda also in three sets 17-21, 21-15, 21-18.
World junior champions Zheng Siwei-Chen Qingchen showed maturity in their 21-11, 21-19 win over compatriots Lu Kai-Huang Yaqiong in an all-China semi-finals in the mixed doubles and will meet Ko Sung-hyun-Kim Ha-na for the title.
The top seeds from Korea knocked out Olympic silver medallists Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying of Malaysia in straight sets 21-14, 21-18.
SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Men's singles
Lee Chong Wei (Mas) beat Marc Zwiebler (Ger) 21-14, 21-15
Jan O Jorgensen (Den) beat Son Wan-ho (Kor) 21-14, 21-19
Men's doubles
Li Junhui-Liu Yucehn (Chn) beat Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) 21-13, 18-21. 21-15
Kim Gi-jung-Ko Sung-hyun (Kor) beat Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda (Jpn) 17-21, 21-15, 21-18
Women's singles
Sun Yu (Chn) beat Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn) 21-17, 21-18
He Bingjiao (Chn) beat Aya Ohori (Jpn) 21-17, 22-20
Women's doubles
Christinna Pedersen-Kamilla Rytter Juhl (Den) beat Luo Ying-Luo Yu (Chn) 21-13. 18-21, 21-15
Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi (Jpn) beat Shiho Tanaka-Koharu Yonemoto (Jpn) 21-14, 21-19
Mixed doubles
Zheng Siwei-Chen Qingchen (Chn) beat Lu Kai-Huang Kaixiang (Chn) 21-11, 21-19
Ko Sung-hyun-Kim Ha-na (Kor) beat Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying (Mas) 21-14, 21-18
