Yamaguchi, a world junior champion herself in 2013 and 2014, was made to work hard by her 16-year-old opponent but ultimately prevailed 21-16, 23-21 after 50 minutes.

"I got nervous towards the end," Goh admitted.

"I’d wanted to prove myself - this is my first senior Asian event.

"It was very tiring, she was returning everything.

"The level between the juniors and seniors is so different; the pace is much higher."

Chinese top seed Li Xuerui survived a scare of her own today, coming from behind to beat Thailand’s Porntip Buranaprasertsuk 19-21, 21-6, 21-5.

Li’s compatriot Wang Shixian, the number three seed, comfortably reached the second round with a 21-18, 21-12 victory over Hong Kong’s Cheung Ngan Yi. 

There were also wins for number four seed Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand and number five seed Saina Nehwal of India.

Intanon beat Malaysia’s Ho Yen Mei 21-7, 21-11, while Nehwal triumphed 21-16, 21-17 at the expense of Indonesia’s Fitriani.

In the men’s singles, second seed Lin Dan of China laboured to a 21-9, 14-21, 21-19 victory over young Indonesian Ihsan Maulana Mustofa.

The Olympic champion now goes on to face fellow veteran Nguyen Tien Minh of Vietnam, who defeated Singaporean qualifier Loh Kean Yew 21-17, 21-14.

Hong Kong’s Wei Nan suffered an unexpected 21-12, 17-21, 21-18 defeat against Malaysia’s Zulfadli Zulkiffli, who next meets Chinese top seed Chen Long - a comfortable 21-4, 21-16 winner against South Korea’s Jeon Hyeok-jin.

Among the few other surprises of the day was China's Chai Biao and Hong Wei, the men’s doubles third seeds, losing 27-25, 21-17 at the hands of Japan’s Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda.

Kamura and Sonoda next face Malaysia’s Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong, who fought past Chinese Taipei’s Liao Min Chun and Tseng Min Hao 14-21, 21-15, 21-13.

The women’s doubles action saw South Korea’s Chang Ye Na and Lee So Hee outclass India’s Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa 21-15, 21-11 to book a second-round meeting against Japan’s Sayaka Hirota and Yuki Fukushima, who beat them in the final of last month’s New Zealand Open.

Hirota and Fukushima claimed an easy 21-16, 21-16 win over Thailand’s Phataimas Muenwong and Chaladchalam Chayanit.

At the European Championships in La Roche sur Yon, France, there were wins for the top seeds in both the men's singles and women's singles as Denmark's Jan O Jorgensen and Spain's Carolina Marin advanced to the third round.

Jorgensen overcame Bulgaria's Blagovest Kisyov 21-8, 21-14, while Marin defeated Lithuania's Akvile Stapusaityte 21-14, 20-22, 21-9.

Russia's Vladimir Ivanov and Ivan Sozonov, the number one men's doubles seeds, beat The Netherlands' Ruben Jille and Robin Tabeling 15-21, 21-17, 21-12. 

The Pan American Championships Team Event concluded today as Canada beat hosts Brazil 3-2 in the final. 

Peru finished third in Campinas after beating Jamaica 3-0 in a play-off.