Kumamoto Masters: Okamura and Yamashita beat Indonesia's second seeds 29-27 in the deciding game
On the opening day, 10 November 2026, the Japanese men's doubles pair saved match points to beat Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in 1 hour 22 minutes.
The upset
On the opening day of the Kumamoto Masters Japan Super 500, Tuesday 10 November 2026, Japan's Hiroki Okamura and Kyohei Yamashita beat Indonesia's Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in the men's doubles first round. Two Japanese outlets agree on the result: the news agency Jiji Press, which calls the Indonesians the second seeds, and Badminton Magazine, which calls them the world No. 2 pair.
How it went
Badminton Magazine says each pair won one game, and the decider went past 20-all. Alfian and Fikri led and held the first match points, but Okamura and Yamashita stayed with them. From 27-all the Japanese pair scored twice in a row to win, which makes the final score 29-27 (our arithmetic from the magazine's text). The match lasted 1 hour 22 minutes, according to the same report. Neither text gives the scores of the first two games.
Another upset, one source
Badminton Magazine also reports that Japan's Chiharu Shida and Ririna Hiramoto won their women's doubles opener 2-1 against a Malaysian pair, after losing the first game. Only this one report gave the detail, so we mention it without more.
Why it matters
A first-round win against the second seeds, decided by two points after match points were saved, shows how tight Super 500 doubles can be, and the Japanese pair play on at home. The tournament runs until 15 November. This note covers one match only.