The top seeds and defending champions fared relative well in their respective draws.
Men’s singles world No.1 Viktor Axelsen of Denmark is on a 31-match winning streak this season. He potentially faces last week’s Commonwealth Games semifinalist, Jia Heng Jason Teh of Singapore, in the second round.
Two-time mixed doubles world champions, China’s Zheng Si Wei/Huang Ya Qiong, arrive in Tokyo having won six straight tournaments. They are in the same half of the draw as compatriots and Olympic Games conquerors Wang Yi Lyu/Huang Dong Ping.
After surprisingly missing out on a medal at her home Olympics last year, 2021 women’s singles world champion Akane Yamaguchi seeks redemption on home soil. The likes of Carolina Marin (Spain), He Bing Jiao (China), An Se Young (Korea), and recent Commonwealth Games champion Pusarla V. Sindhu (India) will try and block her path to the final.