The young Chinese player is only a few wins away from sealing ranking event glory.
Bai Langning took advantage of an open group in the Championship League to advance to the last eight on Wednesday in Leicester.
The 19 year-old accumulated five points from Group C courtesy of one victory and two draws, which ultimately proved enough to see him place in first place.
Bai began the day with a 2-2 scoreline against Noppon Saengkham, the highest seed of the foursome, and followed it up with a 3-0 triumph against veteran Mark Davis.
A second 2-2 draw against David Lilley secured top spot just ahead of his fellow amateur in the league standings at the Morningside Arena.
Bai’s amateur status is slightly misleading considering he was badly affected by COVID-19 travel restrictions last season which resulted in his absence from most events, thus failing to tally enough ranking points for tour survival.
However, with £8,000 already in his back pocket for progressing this far, the top-up contender will now have one eye on a somewhat unlikely victory in the 2021/22 season-opener.
Joining Bai Langning in Stage Three is Kyren Wilson, who has maintained his push for a third Championship League success on the trot by winning Group D.
The Englishman beat Ken Doherty and Oliver Lines 3-1 to all but guarantee his berth in the next phase, which was later confirmed despite a late defeat against Matthew Stevens.
David Gilbert, Cao Yupeng, Ali Carter, and Ryan Day booked their places in Stage Three earlier this week, with just two more slots up for grabs.
On Thursday, world number one Judd Trump returns to the fray in Group A alongside fellow Englishmen Tom Ford, Stuart Carrington, and Jimmy Robertson, while Group B will see Mark Allen face Ricky Walden, Fergal O’Brien, and Peter Lines.
Live coverage continues on FreeSports and Matchroom.Live.
Click here to view the full draw (Times: CET)
Noppon Saengkham and Mark Davis didn’t play their best yesterday, and Group C came down to a battle between two amateurs. It’s not unprecedented – last year Craig Steadman reached the semi-final of the Shoot-out, and Lyu Haotian had a Q-final of the International Championship aged just 14!
It’s worth noting that both Bai Langning and Cao Yupeng were coached by Roger Leighton, along with several others who are doing very well now. I don’t know the status of Bai’s working VISA, but if he’s able to play the full season as an amateur top-up, he could qualify for 2022-23 via the 1-year list.