Guaranteed battle with top 8 of the World Ranking U57kg

Again the category U57kg will be interesting to see with World Champion Yoshida Tsukasa (JPN) in the field as well as the full top eight of the IJF world ranking of this category including two Canadians who have been successful this year. Osaka winner Klimkait will be eager to keep the pace of her last victory, but in such field, the winner will be a true judo queen.

Six-time Grand Slam winner Yoshida turned her 2017 world silver into golden this year with a thrilling display in Baku. The first-time owner of a red backpatch began her year in Paris with a silver medal ahead of her triumph in Azerbaijan. Yoshida could only manage a finish-place result at home in Japan at the Osaka Grand Slam last month after slipping to defeat in the semi-finals and her subsequent bronze medal contest. The Tokyo 2020 hope has never won the Masters and will start as the favourite ahead of four-time winner and arch-rival Dorjsuren Sumiya (MGL).

Dorjsuren and Yoshida may be the favourites, but World bronze medallist Christa Deguchi and Osaka winner Klimkait will be sharp, not just for the two rivals, but also for the rest of the field, the unseeded army. Olympic Champion Silva, experienced women Monteiro and Karakas, Japanese outsider Tamaoki. It will be a huge battle from round one. Nora Gjakova (KOS) and Theresa Stoll (GER) are our tips to keep an eye on. Stoll will fight Silva so one of the two will drop out.