I am really happy. I knew that it was a tough match and I had to fight for every point, and I knew I was not going to get any free points because I know she is a good player and she has been top 100. So I just tried to literally give my all in every point that I played, and I think it worked pretty well for me.

I think it was a good break for me as well, because the match was going very close and it was the 3rd set, so I think both of us were kind of tired. Her taking that medical timeout also gave me some time to recover and also go and talk to my coaches. So I think that really helped me to get that extra time as well, and I think it worked for me too.

Yeah, I will not deny that I was nervous — I definitely was. But I think as the match progressed, I started feeling much better about my game and I started believing that I can match the level. Once I got into it, I really got into the zone, and I think I was able to stay solid throughout the match.

I think I just told myself to take it 1 point at a time. After every point that I played, my coaches also kept reminding me: whatever the score is, whatever is happening in the match, the point that you are playing, you are only going to think about that point. So just take it 1 point at a time — and that is all I did.

Yeah, the 1st set was a bit shaky and I wasn’t feeling that great. But then later on I started thinking that I have nothing to lose here, so I just started going for my shots. Once I started getting more points, I started feeling more confident about my game. It also somewhat helped with the self-belief — as I said earlier, I started believing that I can match the level and get even better. So I think I just started going for my shots, and that was the turning point.

Yeah, I mean, definitely — especially after the year that I have been having, this win is the biggest so far, tournament-level-wise. I am really happy about it because coming into this tournament I somewhat had some pressure about the performance; I was really doubting myself and had a lot of other things going on. But as the match progressed, I really hung in there and was really giving it my all. I spoke to the coaches before going on court and I was just like, whatever happens, I just want to be able to say that I am the biggest warrior out there. So that is all that was going on in my mind.

Yeah, I think after I was up 3-1 in the 3rd set, she started whacking every ball, and it was really tough because I was trying to process how she is getting that sort of energy in the 3rd set. At the same time, I also sort of had a drop in energy because I was struggling to stay in the longer rallies and my balls also started losing their depth, so it became easier for her to capitalize on those balls. But later on, I didn’t really think much about the score — at 1 point I didn’t even have the idea that she was actually serving for the match. I think just taking it 1 point at a time and being in that zone, I was so locked in.

It feels amazing, because I had a good couple of weeks before coming into Chennai. I wouldn’t say I was confident about going deeper into the tournament, but I was definitely feeling good about my game and I was confident that whatever I do on court, I am not going to make it easy for the opponent. So I just wanted to go out there and show everyone here that this is what I am capable of, and just the self-belief that I had really helped me.

Yeah, I think it is also the balls — the balls are pretty heavy, and especially with the humidity they get fluffy pretty quick. So it was sort of a struggle to keep going for the serves, and at the same time she was playing really aggressive and attacking every chance that she was getting. For me, it was just important to try and put back an extra ball and keep that pressure on her so that she is not getting any easy points either. That started working for me later on, where I was just trying to stay in the point however I can, because my coach keeps telling me: “Tennis is never black or white, it is always mostly grey.” It doesn’t have to be perfect all the time, so I was just trying to make her play an extra ball, and that is how she also started making a few errors towards the end.

If I compare myself to how I was 10 months back, I definitely feel more confident, and I feel stronger physically and mentally. I feel like I am in a better place because this year I have had a couple of wins, but I have also had a lot of close losses which have made me realize a lot of things about my game. So the most important thing for me was to just keep working on those things, and it is starting to show in my game because of the work that we have been putting in. So I am really happy with the progress.