The last of the Asian Grade 1s has a slightly weaker field, enabling 3 Brits to be seeded, even without the presence of the Thomson twins and Jordan McCulloch. Last week's finalist Riki McLachlan, who ended Alastair Barnes' hopes, is seeded to meet Ahmed El Menshawy in the last 16.
R1 (L64)
(16) Alex Golding (GBR) Bye (6) Alastair Barnes (GBR) Bye (WC) Souma Kuribayashi (JPN) v Ben Davis (GBR) (11) Ahmed El Menshawy (GBR) Bye
(16) Alex Golding (GBR) Bye (6) Alastair Barnes (GBR) Bye Ben Davis (GBR) d. (WC) Souma Kuribayashi (JPN) 6-2 6-3 (11) Ahmed El Menshawy (GBR) Bye
R2
Keisuke Watanuki (JPN) v (16) Alex Golding (GBR) (WC) Shu Saito (JPN) v (6) Alastair Barnes (GBR) Ben Davis (GBR) v (12) Sebastian Lavie (NZL) Hikaru Kawasaki (JPN) v (11) Ahmed El Menshawy (GBR)
Keisuke Watanuki (JPN) d. (16) Alex Golding (GBR) 6-4 6-2 (6) Alastair Barnes (GBR) d. (WC) Shu Saito (JPN) 6-1 3-6 7-5 (12) Sebastian Lavie (NZL) d. Ben Davis (GBR) 7-5 6-3 (11) Ahmed El Menshawy (GBR) d. Hikaru Kawasaki (JPN) 6-0 6-3
R3
Masato Shiga (JPN) v (6) Alastair Barnes (GBR) (7) Riki McLachlan (NZL) v (11) Ahmed El Menshawy (GBR)
It's been a poor tour for Alex. Alastair has a good opportunity for a second QF on this trip but Ahmed has, as expected, to overcome an in-form player to progress.
Ahmed's first G1 QF takes him above Dave Thomson to the British No. 2 ranking. Kiguchi is a surprise quarter-finalist, having achieved very little in the few tournaments he has played up to now.
