Ranked 17th in the world, Shinozuka was under pressure in the first round of the men's singles tournament in Malmö. But it was Kristian Karlsson, ranked 53rd in the world, who played the best.
Karlsson's long serve at times made things difficult for Shinozuka, and the Swede won 11–6, 11–9, 8–11, 13–11.
"It's great fun. Tactically, a well-executed match," Karlsson tells SVT.
In the second round, another Japanese player, Shunsuke Togami, ranked 14th in the world, awaits.
