The Japanese had been hoping to retain the title they had earned two years ago but made a stuttering start at Queen Elizabeth Stadium.

Their mixed doubles pairing of Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino suffered a 21-17, 21-17 defeat to China’s He Jiting and Du Yue.

Kanta Tsuneyama ensured the holders bounced back immediately by winning his men’s singles match.

Tsuneyama overcame China’s Lu Guangzu 21-18, 21-7.

Japan took the lead when Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi came from a game down to beat Han Chengkai and Zhou Haodong 16-21, 21-18, 21-13 in the men’s doubles.

The final appeared to be heading to its conclusion when Japan’s Sayaka Takanashi won the opening game of her women’s singles tie against Han Yue.

But Han produced an impressive comeback to edge her rival in two consecutive games to win 17-21, 21-19, 21-17.

It left the outcome of the competition resting on the women’s doubles match.

Having been on the brink of defeat, the Chinese team completed the turnaround as Du Yue and Li Yinhui secured a 21-16, 21-9 victory over Ayako Sakuramoto and Yukiko Takahata.

The Badminton World Federation Orléans Masters, a World Tour Super 100 tournament in France, will conclude today.

Japan’s Koki Watanabe triumphed in the men’s singles final as he came from a game down to beat France’s Thomas Rouxel 18-21, 21-12, 21-19.

Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour faced Japan’s Saena Kawakami in the women’s final in a clash of the top two seeds.

Second seed Kawakami emerged as the winner as she overcame her rival 21-8, 18-21, 21-16. 

The women’s doubles final will saw England’s Chloe Birch and Lauren Smith beat Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Ya-ching and Hu Ling-fang 21-18, 21-17.

Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin of Chinese Taipei secured a 16-21, 22-20, 21-15 win over Japan’s Akira Koga and Taichi Saito in the men’s doubles final.

The hosts were assured of success in the mixed doubles final as Ronan Labar and Anne Tran faced compatriots Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue.

Gicquel and Delrue won the match 21-11, 21-14.