James Cahill has admitted that he expected to lose against Ding Junhui once he had been clawed back by the world number three in their UK Championship encounter.
Cahill, who is 97 places below Ding in the world rankings, let slip a 5-1 advantage in the best-of-11 match but a Ding mistake in the final frame allowed him to win the frame to secure the biggest triumph of his career.
The 18-year-old told World Snooker: "When I missed the chance to win 6-1, he started coming back at me, and it's the worst feeling in the world.
"In the last frame I expected him to win in one visit, but after he missed I played a solid frame. My family went through the emotions as much as I did."
Cahill will now play Mark Davis in the fourth round on Wednesday evening.