Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsutomo won a rematch of their Rio Olympic women's doubles final, beating Danes Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter on Saturday in the semifinals of the BWF Super Series Finals.
Takahashi and Matsutomo, who were defeated by the Danes in September's Japan Open, dispatched their rivals 21-12, 21-11 to advance to the Dubai final.
The Japanese pair, ranked No. 1 in the world, shrugged off that disappointment by cruising to a 41-minute victory, needing just half the time it took to wrap up their Olympic gold medal-clinching victory.
"Today we played the way we wanted," said Takahashi after the pair reached the final for the first time since 2014, when they won their maiden title. "We received (shots) their serves not just to return, but to set up our next attacks."
They led 5-4 in both games and never surrendered those leads, returning powerful shots from the Danes throughout — something they failed to do in Tokyo.
"They definitely have an advantage in terms of height and their powerful shots," Matsutomo said of the Danes. "In the final of the last international tournament of the year, we want to play a good game."