Yamaguchi wins Japan Masters with An absent

Home favourite Akane Yamaguchi beat third-ranked Wang Zhiyi of China. | Photo Credit: AP

Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi beat China’s Wang Zhiyi to win the Kumamoto Masters title on home soil on Sunday, with all-conquering world number one An Se-young not competing at the tournament.

World number two Yamaguchi downed third-ranked Wang 21-14, 22-20 to claim her fourth title of a women’s badminton season dominated by An.

The South Korean has won an incredible 11 titles, including the world and Asian Games crowns, and has lost only one match all year.

Of the titles An did not win in 2026, she finished runner-up at the All England Open and pulled out injured from the Japan Open.

Yamaguchi was happy to give the fans in western Japan something to cheer about.

“There aren’t so many tournaments held in Japan, especially in Kumamoto, which is my training base,” said the 29-year-old.

“I was able to win in front of my supporters, and that gave me a different happiness than the other stops on the tour.”

Yamaguchi has lost the last 11 matches she has played against An.

The pair could meet again at the season-ending World Tour Finals in China next month.

“I’m a little bit tired at the moment, so I think getting into good condition will be the most important thing,” said Yamaguchi.

India’s Lakshya Sen won the men’s singles title, beating Japan’s Koki Watanabe 13-21, 21-18, 21-14.

Top seeds Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin won the mixed doubles final, beating fellow Chinese pair Gao Jiaxuan and Wu Mengying 15-21, 21-15, 21-14.

Malaysia’s Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King beat Japanese pair Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi to win the men’s doubles title.

In women’s doubles, Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi beat fellow Japanese pair Ririna Hiramoto and Chiharu Shida 21-19, 21-15.