Joe O'Connor will have his first taste of what life as a professional snooker player is like when he rubs shoulders with the world's best in China.
The 18-year-old former world and European junior pool champion is pursuing a career on the snooker table and has qualified for the first ranking event of the season, the Wuxi Classic.
Despite still being an amateur, he takes his place in the main draw alongside the biggest names in the sport, including world champion Mark Selby, defending champion Neil Robertson, and world No.5 Barry Hawkins.
O'Connor takes on Chris Wakelin in the first round on Tuesday and victory could set up a second-round meeting with the 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy.
"I can't wait. It is going to be amazing," said O'Connor. "In a way it's a bit scary because it's my career. It's starting to become more real, actually playing in a proper ranking event.
"I'm the underdog. I am not expected to get very far so whatever happens I will take as a positive. Even if I lose, it's not the end of the world. If I win, it's a bonus.
"It will be a really good experience for me and will be great to be out there mixing it with the big boys."
O'Connor's qualification for Wuxi has already proved he has the beating of some well-established professionals.
In his qualifier, he thrashed Andrew Higginson, a former Welsh Open finalist, who made it to the last 16 of the World Championship in 2012.
O'Connor did not drop a frame, completing an impressive 5-0 whitewash over the current world no.36.
His opponent tomorrow, Wakelin, is ranked 70 places lower than that. O'Connor knows his game well, too, having spent time practising with the Nuneaton potter.
"It will be weird to go all the way out there to play against a mate," said O'Connor.
"He is a professional, so he beats me more times than I beat him in practice. I have beaten him, though, so I know if I play my best, I can do it."
As well as taking his cue with him, O'Connor will also be flying a pair of Selby's trousers over to China after the world no.1 left them at the dry cleaners.
Despite being a ranking event, O'Connor will not receive any ranking points as he is still only an amateur.
The Wigston youngster came agonisingly close to a place on the main tour after just missing out on winning his professional card at this year's Q School.
The Q School offers the chance for eight budding snooker players to win a two-year card on the professional circuit. These are awarded to the four semi-finalists of two back-to-back tournaments, open to any amateur player, anywhere in the world.
O'Connor was one step away from realising his dream, losing in the quarter-final earlier this year from a field of 130 hopefuls.
But because he did so well, he was offered a place in the Wuxi qualifiers when a slot became available.
