Two times champion Ding Junhui was shocked by amateur Adam Duffy of England 2-6 in the opening round of the UK Championships on Tuesday.
Duff, 26, ranked 121st in the world, went ahead 3-0 and claimed one of the biggest upsets in the history of the prestigious event.
The Chinese star blamed venue conditions for his defeat.
"I felt uncomfortable with the table," he said. "It's wet maybe because it is too late at night."
But he said he was optimistic with his career.
"You need to keep calm after suffering consecutive losses. You should not be overcome by the pressure."
Duffy, who is competing in the ranking tournaments for the sixth time, said: "I was confident going into the match because I have been working harder than I ever have before, but it's crazy. I am buzzing."
