Mertens earned plenty of praise for his victory over Cahill
Belgian 15-year-old Ben Mertens has become the youngest player to win a qualifying match at the World Snooker Championship.
The teenager beat James Cahill 6-2 on Wednesday in Sheffield.
Cahill had caused a shock in last year's first round when he beat five-time winner Ronnie O'Sullivan.
Mertens will face world number 77 Sam Baird in the second of four qualifying rounds on Friday as he chases a place at the Crucible.
He started playing aged eight on a tiny table won at a fairground and won the world under-16 title at the age of 13 in 2018.
Mertens was just 18 months old when six-time world championship runner-up Jimmy White last competed in the event at the Crucible in 2006.
But the 'Whirlwind' hopes to return after coming back from 3-1 down to beat Michael Georgiou 6-4 on Thursday in the second qualifying round in Sheffield.
The 58-year-old faces Rob Milkins in the penultimate qualifying round on Saturday night.
"I'm very confident in my game. I know it's there, it's just finding it. When you're younger, it's easier to just switch into the zone," said White.
Mertens beat Adam Stefanow in the first round of the Paul Hunter Classic in his professional tournament debut in August 2018 and lined up alongside 25-year-old Luca Brecel, who is the only player from continental Europe to win a ranking title, at this year's World Team Cup.
"The World Cup was on the television and that helped me handle the cameras," Mertens said after Wednesday's win.
"I was always watching Luca when I was young and to now do that by myself on television is amazing."
His coach Gery de Mol, owner of a marzipan company which sponsors the Belgian tour, said he saw signs of promise as soon as Mertens' father delivered him for practice sessions.
"He went to the fair and won this tiny table and he was potting every single ball with it," said De Mol.
"I immediately thought, we can make something very special here. He is making 147s every week in practice and I believe when he is on form it is possible for him to beat anyone."
Mertens is in a group of young talent from Europe including 14-year-old Ukrainian Iulian Boiko and Pole Antoni Kowalski, 16, who lost their first qualifying round matches.
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