A good performance in the second round shows that Jan O Jorgensen is still on the right track after returning from a year-long injury.

Was it a career ending injury? Will he ever come back? And if he comes back, at what level will he play? Those were some of the questions asked in 2018 when the former European men’s singles champion was fighting his way back to the top level. On Tuesday he beat Indonesian Tommy Sugiarto in straight games at the World Championships in Basel.

- It was a great game. It started off very well and I managed to push Tommy around. It is quite slow in the venue and you need to be able to find the baseline and play in a high pace, and I think I had great success with that in the beginning, Jorgensen said.

- In the second game, I really wanted to close it, but he got under my skin and worked his way back somehow. Having that big lead, you know that eventually you are going to win. The only thing that can happen is that you are losing to yourself and I was half way there, he added.

Good performances against the top players
Jan O Jorgensen is back in the best company at the Worlds, and the former World Championships bronze medallist believes that he still has a lot to bring.

- I am still on my way. My top level is increasing right now, and I have shown on occasions that I can play with the best players in the world, Jorgensen mentioned.

- I had some good games against Kento (Momota) and Viktor (Axelsen). I had a good win against Chou Tien Chen in Japan. I am on the right track. It is tough to be out for a year, even in my age. It is a long way back, but I am enjoying the game and enjoying competing, which is the main thing, Jorgensen said.

In the third round Jorgensen will play either Kwang Hee Heo from Korea or the fourth seed Jonatan Christie from Indonesia.