Then came a pivotal moment in the match as Harimoto put distance between himself and his opponent in game four, building a 1-5 lead before moving 6-9 ahead. The Japanese star would then hold two match point opportunities at 9-10 and 10-11, but Aruna would deny him twice, forcing a decider to put the Frankfurt crowd on the edge of their seats.

Playing with all the confidence and freedom in the world, Aruna hammered away at the ball, punishing Harimoto in the fast exchanges as the wave of momentum firmly shifted in the African trailblazer’s favour.

Ripping a cracking backhand at 10-3 to put his opponent on ice, Aruna takes his place in the round of 16 draw, earning only his second-ever match win at WTT Champions level, one week on from bagging his first in Montpellier.