Yamaguchi Akane chases a home title at the Kumamoto Masters without world number one An Se-young in the draw.

The 2026 BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament opened on Tuesday at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium in Japan and runs through Sunday.

“The key point will be whether Yamaguchi can achieve her second title in this tournament in two years, in Kumamoto, the home of her club,” J Sports said.

An Se-young collected her eleventh trophy of the season on Sunday by defeating Yamaguchi 21-12, 15-21, 21-16 in the Korea Open final at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu. STARNEWS said that the South Korean star holds a 71-1 record this year alongside a 55-match winning streak.

An has dominated recent meetings against her Japanese rival, winning eleven consecutive matches since last year. With An withdrawing from the Kumamoto event, Yamaguchi steps into the tournament as the top seed.

Yamaguchi secured three titles this season, including the China Open Super 1000, alongside five runner-up finishes.

“Yamaguchi has consecutively played major stages such as the Japan Open in July, the World Championships in August, and the Asian Games in September,” J Sports reported.

“It is a pity that two Japanese players face each other from the first match, but it is a duel that attracts a lot of attention from the early stages of the tournament,” J Sports said.

The Kumamoto Masters continues through Sunday at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.

Yamaguchi Akane is 29 years old and represents Samsung Life, while An Se-young is 24 years old. Yamaguchi previously won the Kumamoto Masters in 2024, whereas Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon took the victory last year.

Yamaguchi faces Hina Akechi, who ranks 16th in the world, in the women’s singles round of 16 match.