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Reigning champion Ali Carter booked his place in the last eight of the Welsh Open with a 5-2 victory over Neil Robertson in Newport.

In a match lacking real fire, Carter won a black ball finish to win the opening frame by a single point, 62-61, and although Robertson's 60 proved enough to take the second, breaks of 33 and 28 gave the world number five the edge.

Carter showed the style that won him the trophy last year with a superb 115 break to go in to the break 3-1 ahead of the 2007 winner, but the fifth was a dour frame which Carter eventually won 81-45.

With the crowd rapidly dispersing, Carter almost snatched the sixth frame after gaining the snookers he needed, but one of Robertson's own put Carter into deep trouble and a third miss saw him concede with the score at 80-44.

Robertson looked he might take the game to an eighth frame, but after the Australian missed the final green with the score at 46-35, the match ended as it started as a relieved Carter won another black ball finish to take the match.

The champion will now face Ryan Day in the quarter-finals after the Welshman defeated three-times winner Stephen Hendry 5-3.

Hendry had won all four previous meetings between the two, but two breaks of 36 and 29 won Day the opener 89-0.

The Scot immediately hit back with a 63 that took the second 115-10, and although a century break looked odds-on in the third, 71 was enough to give Hendry the frame.

After Day squared the match with a 67-8 scoreline, Hendry missed a soft green after the resumption which allowed Day to take the fifth frame, but this time, it was the Scot who levelled with a break of 75.

Day won a protracted scrap on the yellow to win the seventh and won the match in stunning fashion.

The eighth frame appeared to be in the bag after Hendry made 69, but Day refused to give up and after gaining the two snookers required, he took frame and match with the black..

In the two remaining first round matches, world number four John Higgins eased into the last 16, 5-2 winner against Michael Judge.

The Scot stormed through the opening frame with a break of 87 and followed that with 105 to take a 2-0 lead.

Judge refused to give up the ghost of the third despite trailing by 31 points with just three colours remaining and Higgins eventually took the frame 81-39.

The fourth frame was a closer affair, but Judge conceded following a foul on the final blue to leave Higgins one frame from victory at the break.

But it was Judge who came out fighting with a 68 which won him the fifth and a break of 73 also took the next 77-5.

Higgins, though, regained the form he showed in the early frames and treated the crowd to a break of 109 to win the match and book a last 16 slot against Graeme Dott.

Masters champion Mark Selby is also through after defeating 20-year-old Judd Trump 5-2.

A Trump miss on the green let Selby steal the first frame 73-71, despite the latter's half-century break, and the world number seven matched his opponent's 51 in the second to take a 2-0 lead.

Trump turned the tables by taking the third from under Selby's nose, 60-52, only for Selby's break of 71 to restore his two-frame advantage at the interval.

The youngster hit back to win the fifth frame 73-27, but could only watch his opponent make 115 to win the sixth and Selby made no mistake to take the seventh 91-26 to set up a match against Mark King.

Welsh Open: Every day LIVE from 1pm on British Eurosport 2 (Sky 411 / Virgin 525) and Eurosport Player.

Ian Hare / Eurosport