After putting up a decent show, which saw her reach the pre-quarter-finals, in the World badminton championships in Birmingham, National champion Aparna Popat has set her sights on the Asian circuit in the hope of improving her world ranking.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai on her return from England, Popat said her good showing in Birmingham would push up her ranking, which is presently No. 33.

"It was a very good learning experience and I have no regrets of losing in the round of 16. I do not know how far I will climb in the rankings but I'm hoping to break into the top 25.

"I should say I and Trupti Murungude played fairly well in the singles before I lost to a much higher-ranked and better player," she said.

Popat, who lost to second seed Chinese Zang Ning, said, "I still have a couple of years to serve my country but my first priority would be the Asian circuit, where I can hope to further improve my ranking.

"It all depends on how well I perform in the Asian circuit. From thereon I will see where I stand before making any future plans," she said.