TOTESPORT.COM WELSH OPEN
Venue: Newport Centre Date: 25-31 January
Coverage: Live on BBC Two Wales and online, plus score updates on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio 5 live and online

Carter is the defending Welsh Open champion

Defending champion Allister Carter eased into the quarter-finals of the Welsh Open with a comfortable 5-2 victory over Australian Neil Robertson.

Carter's victory included a fine break of 115 but three-time winner Stephen Hendry is out after losing 5-3 to Welshman Ryan Day in the second round.

Earlier, world and Masters champions John Higgins and Mark Selby advanced to the second round, as did Mark Williams.

But UK champion Ding Junhui was eliminated by Jamie Cope.

Higgins began his match against Ireland's Michael Judge with a break of 105 and soon raced into a 4-0 lead before triumphing 5-2.

Masters champion Selby was also a comfortable winner, beating fellow Englishman Judd Trump 5-2. The highlight of the Leicester ace's win was a 115 break to win frame six.

"I knew coming here it would be a difficult match because Judd is one of the best players coming through," said world number seven Selby, who will now play Mark King.

"He goes for everything so I had to play solid and keep him out of the balls. Although I won the Masters, I've not had the best season in ranking events, so if I'd lost today it would have been damaging."

For Day it was his first career win over snooker legend Hendry.

The Welshman had lost all four previous meetings with Hendry, but his success delighted the home fans at the Newport Centre as he reached the last eight of this event for the second time.

Hendry made the better breaks, with four over 60, but a few vital errors meant another early exit.

"I'm chuffed to get through. I don't look at past records and I was always going to enjoy the game," said Day.

"My confidence was very low last night against Tony Drago, but once I got through that the pressure was off. To beat Stephen any time is a good result, but especially when he's hitting the ball well."

Two-time winner Williams cruised through into the second round with a 5-2 victory over Fergal O'Brien.

The pair were tied at 2-2 at the interval with O'Brien drawing level with a break of 102 after Williams had won the third frame with a fluked blue.

Welshman Williams then claimed the next two frames with superb century breaks of 102 and 112 to take a 4-2 lead.

And Williams, who last won the tournament in 1999, closed out the game after winning a scrappy seventh frame.

606: DEBATE Have your say on the Welsh Open

"I'm certainly playing a lot better, especially in the last two tournaments," said Williams, who will now play Andrew Higginson.

"But I'm not going to get too excited as I do need to get some consistency. Once I do that then I will have felt like I've turned the corner.

"I didn't really settle in the early frames but after the interval I played well. Hopefully I can keep going and we can have a Welsh winner."

Cope produced a fine first-round performance to shock China's Ding 5-3. The pair were level at 2-2 at the interval and later at 3-3, thanks to a sparkling 127 from Ding, before Cope won the next two frames, closing with a break of 64, to take his place in the second round where he will face pre-tournament favourite Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Meanwhile, Scotland's Graeme Dott fought back from 3-2 down to beat England's Joe Perry 5-3 and book a meeting with world champion Higgins.

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