Overview
- The USD 475,000 Kumamoto Masters Japan begins Tuesday in Kumamoto at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.
- Seeded seventh, Lakshya Sen opens against Japan’s world No. 25 Koki Watanabe after a runner-up finish in Hong Kong and quarterfinals in Denmark and Hylo.
- HS Prannoy resumes competition after a month-long layoff following his Korea Open injury and a difficult season, starting against Malaysia’s Jun Hao Leong.
- Other Indian first-round matchups include Ayush Shetty vs top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Tharun Mannepalli vs Jeon Hyeok Jin, and Kiran George vs a qualifier.
- Withdrawals have trimmed India’s entries, with 17-year-old Naishaa Kaur Bhatoye the lone women’s singles entrant from qualifiers and the mixed duo Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde facing Americans Presley Smith and Jennie Gai as the country’s only doubles team.