Yana, winner of the women’s singles gold medal at the event in Hungary on Sunday (January 24), was unable to find her form as the world number 26 was beaten 12-10, 12-10, 6-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-7 by a player ranked 45 places below her.

It proved to be a day of surprises at the competition as Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games champion, China’s Liu Gaoyang, dispatched Turkey’s Hu Melek, bronze medallist at the 2015 European Games in Baku, with an impressive victory in straight games.

Gaoyang, currently without a world ranking, proved too strong for her Turkish rival, emerging with a shock 11-8, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 success.

China’s Jiang Huajun was also on the receiving end of a defeat by an unranked player as she took the opening game of her clash with compatriot Hu Limei before she succumbed to a 5-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-4, 11-9 loss.

Park Youngsook of North Korea defied the odds to overcome Portugal’s Shao Jieni, who currently occupies 47th position in the world rankings, 4-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9.

The Czech Republic’s Iveta Vacenovska was in giant-killing mood as she edged Japan’s Yui Hamamoto 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7.

Team-mate Hana Matelova ended the progress of Austria’s Sofia Polcanova with a quick-fire 12-10, 12-10, 11-4, 11-3 triumph.

There may have been plenty of suprises but not all of the favourites fell at the first hurdle as South Korea’s Choi Hyojoo beat Japan’s Sakura Mori 8-11, 11-8, 3-11, 5-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-6.

World number 42 Shen Yanfei of Spain made light work of Germany's Amelie Solja, breezing to a crushing 11-4, 11-4, 11-7, 11-1 win.

Hungary's two-time European champion Geogina Pota demonstrated her clear technical advantage over opponent Britt Eerland of The Netherlands.

Pota was in ruthless form, cruising to a commanding 11-7, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4 victory.

The competition in the German capital is due to continue tomorrow.