Shintaro Shimabukuro, ranked 110 globally from Japan, enters this Busan hard court match with mixed recent form, including a straight-set victory over Ivan Simakin but three losses in his last five outings. The Japanese player comes in as the slight favourite at 2.29 decimal odds with Pinnacle. This is the opening encounter between Shimabukuro and Lucia Riedi, offering no head-to-head history to draw from.

Lucia Riedi of Switzerland, ranked 169, arrives in Busan looking to build momentum after winning against S. Kwon in her most recent match. The Swiss player faces an uphill task against the favoured home player, with Pinnacle offering 1.68 decimal odds for her victory. Riedi has shown inconsistency in recent rounds, with two losses to Y. Hanfmann and B. Bonzi bookending that most recent win.