Triple world champion Alexei Yagudin of Russia led compatriot and rival Yevgeni Plushenko by just 0.5 points Friday after the men's short program on the first day of the International Skating Union Grand Prix Final in Tokyo.
In a high-quality women's competition, Irina Slutskaya came out on top after the short program, 0.5 ahead of three-time world champion Michelle Kwan of the United States and 1.0 up on fellow Russian Maria Butyrskaya at National Yoyogi Arena.
Despite the absence of Japanese skaters, the Tokyo crowd had plenty to applaud in the pairs as high-flying Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze opened a 0.5-point gap over Canadians Sale and David Pelletier after the short program.
In ice dancing, meanwhile, last year's world championship runners-up Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio of Italy lead Russian pair Irina Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh by 0.4 after skating a near-flawless rhythm combination routine.