How would you describe the past few months?
It was really fantastic. Everything went great for me, right from the Singapore Open [in April].
How much did you change your game to get the desired results?
I think the [ankle] injury [last year] changed me a lot. My training after injury, with Gopi sir [national coach Pullela Gopichand], is giving results.
The semifinal of the Indonesian Open was tough.
Son Wan-ho played really well. The challenge was to stay in the match till the end. The strategy worked for me; everything went really well.
Do you think there is a realistic chance of getting a men’s singles medal at the World Championships?
It is the most important tournament for me. I have time to train for it. I am really focused on doing well. We are all playing well. If we play well consistently, we have a chance for sure. We need to give our 100 per cent in every match. Every player prepares really well and hard for the World Championships and the Olympics. So, you need to be at your best in every match.
What did the win at the Indonesian Open teach you mentally?
Our foreign coach Mulyo Handoyo has been with [former world champion] Taufiq [Hidayat] earlier; he has seen the highest level of badminton. I think his and Gopi sir’s inputs are really helping us. Two people are working to improve Indian badminton, which is working very well for us.
Which part of your game have you improved the most?
I am working on every aspect. I am coming back from an injury after a long break. So, I have had to work on every aspect of the game.
Are you happy with the way you are peaking right before the World Championships?
Yes, definitely, I am really happy with the way I have played. So, I am going to just train hard in the coming weeks.
Your first Superseries win was the China Open in 2014. How frustrating has it been to wait so long for another big one?
After the China Open, I won the India Open in 2015 and the Syed Modi International Grand Prix Gold in 2016. I lost in the Olympics quarterfinal by one point. So, I have been playing well in the important tournaments. A few of the matches I lost were very close games; I lost by one or two points, in three sets. I know I can do well if I continue working hard. Everything has been working for me now.
For a long time, badminton was dominated by Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei. Do you think it is an open field going into the World Championships?
Everyone in the top 35 is really playing well. H.S. Prannoy was 29 before he beat Chen Long and Jan Jorgensen [he is 23 now]. The game is growing and so are all the players.
How has the physical aspect of the game changed since you started?
You have to be really alert on court for an hour and a half. You have to be moving all the time, so it is more about the physical aspect than skills.
