Once in a blue moon we get a GPG tournament that happened to have a stronger turnout than certain SS tourneys but that's the exception rather than the rule.
If the absence of the four confirmed participants , namely , LXR, WYH , WSX and Saina, is a standard feature for at least the next three to six months, why did a number of the remaining who aren't injured or retired choose to withdraw here?
I'd argue there's no need to worry as the void will be quickly filled by new blood - isn't there already unmistakable signs of it last week? He Bingjiao, Sun Yu, Akane Y, among whom the first and last named denied Intanon Ratchok and Nozomi Okuhara, two highly-fancied WS, respectively.
Say, for KOR WS, the retirement of Bae Yeon Ju will anytime be replaced by the younger cohort such as Lee Jang Mi, Kim Hyo Min, just to name two.
Even, for CHN, both He Bingjaio and Sun Yu are fully capable of taking the place of WYH and WSX.
For India, I believe P V Sindhu is as good if not better than Saina Nehwal, not to mention a couple others waiting at the wings, such as Ruthvika Gadde, Tanvi Lad, P C Tulasi, etc.
Among the Japanese, Akane Yamaguchi is outstanding, she's just beaten Nozomi Okuhara at the JPN Open, and others like Aya Ohori, Ayumi Mine, just to name two, and not forgetting the older Sayaka Sato and Mitani Minatsu are not to be trifled with as well.
Now that the Rio Olympic cycle is just over, it's normal and to be expected to have some old guards making way for the new, a renewal process occurring every few years usually coinciding with the Olympic cycle.