Japan’s Ryo Kiyuna reached the men's kata final of the Karate 1-Premier League in Dubai ©World Karate Federation

Japan’s Ryo Kiyuna and Spain’s Damian Quintero will meet in the men’s kata final at the Karate 1-Premier League event in Dubai.

The pair are enjoying a growing rivalry, heightened when Kiyuna beat Quintero in last year’s World Championship final in Madrid.

Both men with progressed through the early rounds to reach the final at the Al WASL Club in the United Arab Emirates city.

It will be the third competition in a row where the duo will go head-to-head for gold, with three-time world champion Kiyuna having also overcome his rival at the Karate 1-Premier League competition in Paris last month.

The women’s under-61 kilogram kumite final will also be a repeat from Paris, with France’s Gwendoline Philippe and Giana Lotfy of Egypt set to battle for gold.

Philippe earned an 8-0 win over Canada’s Haya Jumaa in her semi-final bout as she attempts to win a second successive Karate 1-Premier League event.

Two-time world champion Lotfy was a 4-1 winner against Iran’s Rozita Alipourkeshka in her semi-final.

Several closely fought kumite semi-finals took place on the second day of action ©World Karate Federation
Several closely fought kumite semi-finals took place on the second day of action ©World Karate Federation

Azerbaijan’s Irina Zaretska upset France’s Alizee Agier in the women’s under-68kg semi-final.

She triumphed 4-2 to reach the final and will be hoping to repeat her victory at the 2017 event in Dubai.

Zaretska is set to face the challenge of Egypt’s Feryal Abdeladiz in the final after she overcame Austria’s Alisa Buchinger in her semi-final bout.

There was a tight battle in the women’s over 68kg kumite semi-finals, where France’s Anne Laure Florentin edged Egypt’s Shymaa Aboualyazed 4-3 in the last four.

Her reward is a meeting with Clio Ferracuti in the final, the Italian having won her semi-final bout 4-2 against Egypt’s Aisha Mohamed.

Turkey’s Uğur Aktaş advanced to the final of the men’s under-84kg kumite event.

He secured a 2-0 win over Iran’s Zabihollah Poorshab to reach the final.

Aktaş faces further Iranian competition in the form of Ali Fadakar in the gold medal bout.

Competition is due to conclude tomorrow in Dubai with a series of finals taking place.

The three-day event is also acting as a dress rehearsal for the 2020 World Championships, due to be held in Dubai that November after the sport has made its debut on the Olympic programme at Tokyo 2020.