The Kinoshita Group Japan Open draw took place under the dome of the Ariake Colosseum presided by four officials namely Tournament Director Shigefusa Kanroji, ATP Supervisor Andrey Kornilov, Referee Tom Barnes and player representative Sho Shimabukuro.

The resulting draw promises some high intensity matches for this years tournament as well as some unknowns with several first time clashes. Defending champion Taylor Fritz currently ranked 8th faces Cameron Norrie, ranked 16th. They have played each other no less than 12 times with a split of 6 victories each. There will be an all Argentinian first round match between 25 year old Francisco Cerundolo and 31 year old Diego Schwartzmann. The older and more experienced Schwartzmann with an all time high ranking of world number 8 has a 3 win record over his younger fellow countryman but there is everything to be played for with Cerundolo currently ranked 21.

Chinese player Zhizhen Zhang has the opportunity of revenge against Hubert Hurkacz having been beaten by him in Shanghai last week. Spectators will enjoy some hard hitting when Frances Tiafoe and Aslan Karatsev go on court. They have met already twice this year at Roland Garros and Washington where Tiafoe dominated. Local player Yosuke Watanuki from Saitama will have the daunting challenge of taking on tournament runner up Casper Ruud, a first encounter for these two players.

Other players who will face each other for the first time too are Tommy Paul v Daniel Altmaier, Mackenzie McDonald v Max Purcell, Felix Auger-Aliassime v Aleksandar Vukic as well as Sebastian Ofner v Christopher O’Connell. Japan’s hopeful Yoshihito Nishioka ranked number 48 has all his chances of going through facing an opponent from the qualifying rounds as will rising champion Ben Shelton.

This years Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships is an exciting opportunity to showcase Japanese tennis with seven players in the qualifying rounds and at least four in the main draw.