Head-to-Head
• These teams have met 36 times in the World Grand Prix. Japan recorded only four wins against Brazil in the competition of which three came in five sets.
• This match is the most played fixture in WGP history. Brazil and China follow with 34 matches played.
• Brazil have won the last four meetings in straight sets. They have only once failed to win a set themselves against Japan.
• Japan and Brazil met in the 2012 London Olympic Games semifinal in which Brazil prevailed in straight sets. Brazil won the gold medal by beating United States in the final. Japan won bronze in their match against South Korea.
• Mai Yamaguchi will celebrate her 32nd birthday on the day of the match.
Brazil
• Reigning champions Brazil will partake in their 22nd World Grand Prix. They have only been absent from the competition in 1997.
• Brazil have won the World Grand Prix a record 10 times and have also collected a record 16 medals.
• Brazil have reached the final in 10 of their last 11 participations.
• Their worst result at the World Grand Prix came in 2003 when they finished in seventh place.
• They have lost only two of their last 32 matches in the competition: a 3-2 defeat to Turkey in 2014 and a 3-1 defeat to Bulgaria in 2013.
• Brazil lost their last opening match 17 years ago. In 1998, Italy proved too strong in five sets.
Japan
• Japan will make their 23rd World Grand Prix appearance. Japan and China are the only countries who participated in every single World GP since 1993.
• Last year, Japan claimed their first ever medal by finishing in second place behind Brazil.
• Japan have lost only one of their last nine World Grand Prix matches: a straight set defeat to Brazil. Prior to these nine matches, Japan lost nine in a row.
• Japan are two matches shy from playing their 250th in the competition. They are also four shy from winning their 100th and two sets shy from winning their 400th in the World Grand Prix.