Good start by the World number 1 pair! And it's all quite fast paced too. No two hour marathon please!
Whether Tang Yuanting/Yu Yang win or lose here, I expect (and hope as well) NOT to see this pair any further AFTER Rio OG... a new combo of Tang with someone else, much possibly Chen Qingchen, gives much more fun to watch. YY is of the past.
Yu Yang will want even more badly to get the Gold at the Olympics this year. She was pretty much locked for Gold at the last Olympics with her partner (who now will never have the chance for Gold), but used dirty tactics and got disqualified. Guess she won't be doing that again, no matter what the scenario. It's try your best all the time, like all good sports(wo)man.
Japs take the first set quite comfortably. Really don't know when they started being able to beat China WD. Probably when YY and her partner went downhill or split?
To be fair to Yu Yang, she herself was beset by health and fitness and injury probelms, most importantly, she taught Tang Yuanting a lot as the latter admitted. But, realistically, I agree TYT's partnership with Chen Qingchen is a very promising prospect after Rio.
This Jap WD style of play have certainly evolved over the years though - much more attacking than they used to be. Perhaps that's why their results have improved a lot too.
With all respects, post-Rio she should retire from the NT. Btw she already got almost every title of significance in her entire badminton career including the much coveted gold medal in Olympics that even some of the best players can only dream on...
