NAOMI Folkard came through a tense shoot off in the opening round in the ladies’ recurve to make progress at the Rio Games.

The four-time Olympian archer, who has never lost in the opening round, saw off Indonesia’s Ika Rochmawati and then booked her place in round three by defeating Japan’s Kaori Kawanaka.

Against Rochmawati, the 23rd seed opted to shoot second and started strongly, taking the first two sets. But then the Indonesian settled and started to fight back, tying the third.

An uncharacteristic slip by the Kidderminster-based archer in the fourth gave her opponent the opportunity she needed and she took the points.

The Wyre Forest resident shot three nines in the fifth but Rochmawati went one point better to draw level and force a shoot-off.

It all came down to composure and when Rochmawati wavered to shoot a seven, the highly-experienced Briton held her nerve to shoot a nine and move into the second round.

There she faced Kawanaka who started strongly with a 10 before losing all momentum when she shot a disappointing three.

Folkard went from strength-to-strength to take the match 6-0 and secure a third round showdown with Brazil’s Ana Marcelle Dos Santos for a place in the quarter-final, which is scheduled for today.

She later said: “The Japanese girl showed a bit of weakness in the first set.”