Luke Woodhouse is hoping to ride the wave of underdog support after upsetting "class act" Luke Littler on the opening night of his World Grand Prix defence in Leicester.
Woodhouse beat the world number one, taking a two-set lead before holding off a fightback from 'the Nuke' to seal the biggest win of his career with a double 12 finish.
Fans at the Mattioli Arena showed appreciation for the way the 37-year-old upset the odds against the 19-year-old sensation, with Littler magnanimous in defeat as he offered congratulations on and off stage.
Woodhouse's reward is a last-16 clash with Nathan Aspinall on Wednesday night and he is keen to make the most of his big moment.
"I think as a nation, when people see an upset, they get behind an underdog in the UK don't they? Nathan is a massive fan favourite himself but I'm hoping it will be fairly even support when we play. I definitely want to try and back it up," he told the Press Association.
Littler sent his opponent a good luck message via Instagram and praised him for a good game, sentiments he also shared in person. "He came up to me in the practice room and wished me the best for the rest of the tournament, the same as his parents did. He wasn't happy but he was a class act," Littler said.