Shinobu Asagoe
Saori then had two very successful Challenger-level events in Japan, reaching the final of a $50,000 grass event in Gifu as second seed, defeating Julie Pullin, Tomoko Yonemura, Maria Elena Camerin, and Rika Fujiwara, before losing to top seed and rival Shinobu Asagoe. She then, as top seed. won the $50,000 tournament in Fukuoka on clay, defeating Seiko Okamoto, Nana Miyagi, Jarmila Gajdosova, Yan Zi and then Maria Elena Camerin in the final.