Like Her-cules! Tan makes strong start with Japanese men’s doubles.

WORLD No. 4 Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan of China reckon that Japan’s current dominance in the women’s doubles competition does not necessarily make them the favourites for the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics next year.

Shuttlers from the Land of the Rising Sun occupy the top three positions in the world rankings since last year through Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota, Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi and Mayu MatsumotoWakana Nagahara.

Japan also have four other pairs in the top 20 – Shiho Tanaka-Koharu Yonemoto (No. 6), Ayako Sakuramoto Yukiko Takahata (No. 11), Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida (No. 13) and Naoko Fukuman-Kurumi Yonao (No. 16).

But Qingchen and Yifan believe the rest of the world including themselves are just as capable of winning the Olympic gold.

“I think the standard between all the top women’s doubles pairs is quite close,” said Yifan after the pair whipped South Korea’s Kim Hye-jeongKong Hee-yong 21-9, 21-11 to reach the last eight of the Celcom Axiata Malaysian Open yesterday.

“The Japanese are certainly the best at the moment, but they are not unbeatable.

“And we don’t see them as our only rivals. Each country has its own top combination and they are certainly no pushovers too.”

Qingchen-Yifan may not be the consistent performers like their Japanese rivals in the last couple of years, but they did win when it mattered most.

Among the major titles under their belt are the 2017 World Championships, last year’s Asian Games and most recently the All England last month.

But Qingchen-Yifan are keeping their feet firmly on the ground, saying that winning those big titles give them no advantage in any of the upcoming major tournaments including the Olympics.

“Just because we’re the Asian Games gold medallists and world champions, it doesn’t mean we will start a match with few extra points,” said Yifan.

“There’s plenty of things to improve and work on leading to the Tokyo Games.”

Qingchen-Yifan will be under immense pressure to put the oncemighty China back on the winning track in women’s doubles event in the Olympics.

After dominating five editions in a row starting from the 1996 Atlanta Games, Matsutomo-Takahashi ended China’s reign for Japan’s first ever gold in badminton at the 2016 Rio de Janerio Olympics.

Since then, Japan’s women’s doubles department went from strength to strength as they ended China’s stranglehold in this event in the world meet with Matsumoto-Nagahara stopping China’s 14th consecutive winning streak at Nanjing last year.

Qingchen-Yifan’s immediate aim this week is to continue their bid for back-to-back victories the Malaysian Open this week.

They face Matsumoto-Nagahara today for a place in the semi-finals.