KUALA LUMPUR: Independent shuttler S. Kisona's hopes of maintaining her momentum in Europe were dashed by a first-round exit at the Hylo Open in Germany.
The 2019 SEA Games champion fell to Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour, the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games silver medallist, 15-21, 21-8, 21-12 on Tuesday.
This marked Kisona's only second Super 300 appearance, following her last-16 finish at the Taiwan Open in September.
Kisona had aimed to build on her morale-boosting triumph at last week's Dutch Open in Hertogenbosch – her first title since turning professional in early 2023.
Although the Dutch Open was an International Challenge event, the victory had provided much-needed confidence for Kisona, who has struggled to make her mark since leaving the national team in 2022.
The win catapulted her world ranking from No. 101 to No. 88, improving her chances of featuring more regularly in Super 300 and higher-tier tournaments.
In the men's singles, world No. 128 Tan Jia Jie qualified for the main draw, setting up a clash with world No. 28 Christo Popov. Jia Jie, who reached the Dutch Open semi-finals, earned his spot by defeating Switzerland's Julien Scheiwiller 15-21, 21-15, 21-17.
The upcoming match against Popov, this year's German Open champion, will be Jia Jie's first encounter with the French shuttler.