Lakshya Sen, on paper, was the underdog headed into his Olympics group stage match against third seed Jonatan Christie. He was the unseeded world No 22, taking on the reigning All England champion to whom he's lost in their last four matches.
The start of the game played into this narrative, the Indian going 2-8 down, playing from the "bad" side of the court at the la Chapelle Arena in Paris.
But Lakshya knows a thing or two about bouncing back. Earlier this year, roaring into two back-to-back big semifinals after seven straight first-round exits on BWF Tour that had seen him drop off as India No 1.
On Wednesday in Paris, he did that on the biggest stage, knocking out one of the medal favourites in the group stage with a commanding 21-18, 21-12 win to reach the knockouts on his Olympic debut. It was a hugely significant win, given his difficult group and road to the Games.
Lakshya, 23, put on a masterclass of creative defence and shot-making, to reiterate why he is the most dangerous unseeded player in the men's singles draw in Paris. As world No 3 Anders Antonsen called him - a nasty player to face at his best who no one wants in the same group.
His understated confidence was evident when, at toss, he chose to receive instead of choosing side. He knows this court, he has played one extra match here after opening against Kevin Cordon, who eventually pulled out. He had reached the semifinal of the French Open, held at the same arena back in March.
Starting from the bad side of the court, Lakshya then went on to win seven straight points to level things 8-8.
His trademark solid defence and quicksilver footwork forced Christie to blitz the lines to win his points - a pattern which ended up costing the Indonesian dearly in the end.
Lakshya, on the other hand, kept finding the line on his winners as they reached a head at 16-16 with Christie winning 5 straight points. The next couple of points were crucial, a position where Lakshya has faltered in the past.
LAKSHYA SEN YOU BEAUTY!!!! ������
He made a stunning comeback from 2-8 down in the 1st game to BEAT World No. 4 Jonatan Christie! ����#Cheer4Bharat and catch LIVE action now on #Sports18 and stream FREE on #JioCinema����#OlympicsOnJioCinema #OlympicsOnSports18 #Cheer4India... pic.twitter.com/u1ewzdSN3c
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But the Indian stayed calm - a nod to his recent sessions with Paddy Upton, the mental coach formerly working with the Indian cricket team - halting Christie's momentum with an attacking net rush and forcing his opponent to make the mistakes.
The highlight of the first game was how Lakshya set up game point - a reflex no-look shot from behind the back to stay in the point, which forced Christie to hit long. He sealed the deal in a net exchange - a much improved facet of the Indian's gameplay.
The second game, when Lakshya moved to the faster side of the court, was more one-sided as Christie committed a spate of errors while trying to go for the lines... which he missed.
The Indian built up a huge lead of 11-6 at the interval and stayed supremely calm even as Christie tried to force longer rallies and or quick variations in play. The Indonesian had his moments on the shots, but Lakshya's strong court coverage didn't allow him to make much headway. The Indian had wheels in his legs at this point.
He played a stunning point in one such rally to set up match point, rushing to the back court for a low pickup and sealed the deal on another Christie error, a muted celebration afterwards.
The celebration may not show it, but this is a huge milestone for the young Indian. From almost mot making the Olympics after a terrible run of form, to beating the world No 3 in a cool, composed fashion - it's been quite the turnaround for Lakshya.