Sung Ji Hyun began the defence of her women's singles title with a straightforward victory ©Getty Images

Defending women’s champion Sung Ji Hyun enjoyed a comfortable first round match of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Victor Korea Open at the Seong-Nam Indoor Stadium in Seoul.

The 25-year-old was handed the challenge of Hong Kong’s Cheung Ngan Yi but eased through to the delight of the home crowd.

A strong start saw the South Korean win the opening game 21-14 and she replicated the scoreline in the second to secure progress to the second round of this Superseries tournament. 

"t’s my first tournament after the Olympics, I’m motivated to start over again," said Sung afterwards.

“Since it’s my home event, a lot of people show up and that’s very encouraging.

"I don’t know why I didn’t win any other Superseries over the last year.

"I’m not really satisfied with my results, but I’m trying my best."

Her compatriot Kim Hyo Min had a more challenging contest but ultimately came from behind to beat Denmark’s Line Kjaersfeldt 16-21, 21-15, 21-19.

One of the biggest shocks in the first round of the event saw China’s eighth seeded Sun Yu, runner-up at the Yonex Open Japan, fall to a 21-18, 21-14 defeat against South Korea’s Lee Jang Mi.

The Stoeva sisters won a keenly contested women's doubles first round match ©BWF
The Stoeva sisters won a keenly contested women's doubles first round match ©BWF

In the headline women’s doubles match of the day, Bulgaria’s Gabriela and Stefani Stoeva avenged their loss to Maiken Fruergaard and Sara Thygesen at the European Championships earlier this year, with the sisters beating the Danes 21-17, 21-14.

The duo will also benefit from the withdrawal of China’s Huang Yaqiong and Tang Jinhua from the competition, with their absence from the second round seeing the Bulgarian pair receive a bye into the quarter-finals.

Denmark’s Jan Ø. Jørgensen, the Yonex Open Japan runner-up, was among those to progress in the men’s singles event as he powered past Indonesia’s Sony Dwi 23-21, 21-13.

India’s Ajay Jayaram, the beaten finalist in 2015, emerged as a 23-21, 21-18 winner against South Korea’s Jeon Hyeok Jin.

Jørgensen is now due to take on South Korea’s Lee Hyun Il in the second round, while Jayaram will meet China’s Huang Yuxiang.

The host nation were left disappointed in the men’s doubles, with only their top seed pairing of Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong remaining in the competition having received a bye.

All other South Korean pairings were beaten, although Chung Eui Seok and Kim Duk Young put up a strong fight against Yonex Open Japan champions Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen, but ultimately lost 17-21, 21-17, 21-10 to the Chinese stars.