Last year's World Championship runner-up had to retire from his home Fuzhou China Open last week due to his injury, but came from behind to knock out India's B. Sai Praneeth today.

Shi won 11-21, 21-18, 21-12 to go through at Hong Kong Coliseum.

"I was too slow, I couldn't find a way in the rallies in the first game," he said.

"I'm slowly getting better."

Two Chinese Olympic champions also progressed today, with Rio 2016 gold medallist Chen Long, the fifth seed, beating Indonesia's Shesar Hiren Rhustavito 21-18, 21-18.

Badminton icon Lin Dan, the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 winner, also went through as he saw off Denmark's Hans-Kristian Vittinghus 22-24, 21-17, 21-16.

Denmark's fourth seed Anders Antonsen, this year's World Championship silver medallist, went through after a 21-13, 21-13 win against China's Lu Guangzu.

In women's action, Japan's second seed Akane Yamaguchi avenged her defeat in Fuzhou to Malaysia's Soniia Cheah by coming through 21-16, 21-16.

China's third seed Chen Yufei won a tight contest with South Korea's Sung Ji Hyun, 21-19, 21-19, and Thailand's fifth seed Ratchanok Intanon saw off South Korean qualifier Kim Hyo-min 21-12, 21-8.

Second round matches at the World Tour Super 500 tournament will be played tomorrow.