Akiko Kinebuchi vs Kaori Aoyama — Kugayama 1 10K Round of 32

Akiko Kinebuchi defeated Kaori Aoyama 6-4 6-2 in the Kugayama 1 10K round of 32 on hard. The upset overturned the form book — Kaori Aoyama came in leading the head-to-head 1–0, defending last year's round of 32. Akiko Kinebuchi claimed a first win over Kaori Aoyama in two meetings, narrowing the head-to-head to 1–1.

Key context

• Match story: Akiko Kinebuchi dropped just 6 games past Kaori Aoyama.