Hsiung had looked assured of a place in the next round when she raced into a 3-0 lead but Khim fought back valiantly to send the contest into a decider.

The player from Chinese Taipei then managed to shrug off the disappointment of losing three straight games as she regained her composure on her way to seeing out a dramatic 13-11, 11-5, 13-11, 12-14, 8-11, 5-11, 11-3 triumph.

“I haven’t played matches for a long time, so actually I am not very familiar with the opponent,” said Hsiung.

“Before the match, I even thought I may lose.

“My coach tells me to be firm, and do not be afraid of the loss. 

"So at last I just enjoyed my game and don’t care much about the final result.”

Khim’s defeat came on a disappointing day overall for Malaysian players in the preliminary round of the women’s singles as every competitor from the nation entered into the tournament crashed out before the main draw stage.

Lee Yearam of South Korea cruised to a comfortable 11-6, 11-5, 12-10, 11-3 victory over Chang Li Sian Alice, which sparked a miserable run of results for Malaysia.

Lee Rou You became the third player from the country to suffer defeat as she lost 11-2, 11-6, 11-9, 11-4 to Lin Chia-Hui of Chinese Taipei.

“This is my first match in this tour,” said Lin.

“The opponent is not very strong and I am satisfied with my performance today.

“Everything in the venue is good.”

While the women competed for spots in the main draw, Olympic gold medallist Ma Long and Chinese team-mate Xu Xin took to the practice table ahead of the start of the singles competition on Friday (September 16).

Defending China Open champion Ma, who overcame compatriot Zhang Jike in the final at Rio 2016, is due to face Leong Chee Feng of Malaysia in his opening encounter.

Xu’s opponent will be Choong Javen, also of Malaysia.