Welsh Open 2021: Mark Williams and Ronnie O'Sullivan reach last 16

Home favourite Mark Williams is through to the last 16 of the Welsh Open after defeating England's Joe Perry 4-2 in Thursday's morning session in Newport.

But his compatriot Ryan Day, winner of the Snooker Shoot Out last week, is out after a 4-1 defeat to Shaun Murphy.

World number one Judd Trump made a surprise exit after he was beaten 4-2 by world number 38 Hossein Vafaei.

Scotland's John Higgins is also out after losing 4-3 to England's Ali Carter.

Mark Selby, who lost the Shoot Out final to Day, is through to round four after a 4-3 win over Joe O'Connor.

Masters champion Yan Bingtaob also progressed at the Celtic Manor after a 4-1 win against Xiao Guodong.

Scotland's Stephen Maguire secured his spot with a 4-2 victory over England's Matthew Selt while Ronnie O'Sullivan cruised through with a quickfire 4-0 win over Martin Gould secured with a rapid break of 138.

Round three

Anthony McGill (Sco) 3-4 Barry Hawkins (Eng)

Martin O'Donnell (Eng) 2-4 Pang Junxu (Chn)

Matthew Selt (Eng) 2-4 Stephen Maguire (Sco)

Mark Selby (Eng) 4-3 Joe O'Connor (Eng)

Yan Bingtao (Chn) 4-1 Xiao Guodong (Chn)

Jordan Brown (NIr) 4-3 Alexander Ursenbacher (Ger)

Jak Jones (Wal) 2-4 Mark King (Eng)

Mark Williams (Wal) 4-2 Joe Perry (Eng)

Shaun Murphy (Eng) 4-1 Ryan Day (Wal)

Zhou Yelong (Chn) 4-2 David Gilbert (Eng)

Judd Trump (Eng) 2-4 Hossein Vafaei (Irn)

Ricky Walden (Eng) 2-4 Jack Lisowski (Eng)

Tom Ford (Eng) 4-3 Kyren Wilson (Eng)

Mark Allen (NIr) 4-3 Scott Donaldson (Sco)

Martin Gould (Eng) 0-4 Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng)

John Higgins (Sco) 3-4 Ali Carter (Eng)