KUALA LUMPUR: Troubled women's singles shuttler S. Kisona received a timely boost today when she reached the second round of the Super 100 Vietnam Open in Ho Chi Minh.
The 24-year-old, who has not cleared the first round in five months, got the breakthrough that she needed after bouncing back from a first game blemish to down India's Anupama Upadhyaya 15-21, 21-18, 21-16.
Kisona, the 2019 Sea Games champion, will face Myanmar's Thet Htar Thuzar next, for a place in the quarter-finals.
Kisona, who many believe has run her course, last came out tops at the Spanish International in June last year. That was before her form went into a freefall.
Two-time former world junior champion Goh Jin Wei also booked her place in the next stage. She was also stretched to the decider, before overcoming Thailand's Pitchamon Opatniputh 21-18, 13-21, 23-21. Jin Wei, will face India's Ira Sharma next.
The other two Malaysian women's singles who cleared the first round were sisters Venosha Radhakrishan and Kasturi Radhakrishan. Kasturi received a first round walkover while Venosha ousted Vietnamese qualifier Nguyen Thi Cam Tu 21-9, 21-15.
In the men's singles second round, Lee Shun Yang defeated India's Priyanshu Rajawat 21-17, 21-16 while Cheam June Wei ousted 2017 Asia junior champion Leong Jun Hao 21-15, 21-14.