Two-time runner-up Ali Carter feels he can one step further in this year's World Championship after securing his passage to the second round with a 10-6 victory over Jack Lisowski.
Carter had to come through qualifying to make his 17th consecutive appearance at the Crucible and took advantage of an error-strewn performance from 11th seed Lisowski to set up a last-16 clash with China's Zhou Yuelong.
After falling at the final hurdle to Ronnie O'Sullivan in 2008 and 2012, Carter is optimistic about his prospects this year.
"I've been unfortunate in a few years gone by," he said on BBC Two.
"I've faced Ronnie twice in the final, lost to Neil (Robertson) in the semis when he won it (in 2010) and then I lost to (Mark) Williams last year when he went on and won it, so I'm just thinking to myself, 'why can't I make it my turn?'
"It's easy to get into the mindset of being world champion only happens to other people, but from my own perspective I've got to think that I'm in it and I can go all the way."
The 39-year-old from Essex held a 5-4 lead overnight and took the first two frames of the day before a fluked red set up a break of 73 and took him into an 8-4 lead.
Lisowski looked like reducing his deficit in the 13th frame, only to miss a simple brown into the yellow pocket, and Carter cleared up to move within one frame of victory.
Carter handed Lisowski a lifeline when he missed the black to seal victory in the next frame and Lisowski took advantage of his reprieve in style with a total clearance of 124 in frame 15, but a break of 46 in the next helped Carter seal a fully-deserved win.
Kyren Wilson concluded the first round proceedings with a comfortable 10-4 victory over Crucible debutant Scott Donaldson.
The world number eight, a semi-finalist in Sheffield 12 months ago, held a 6-2 advantage heading into Thursday evening and was rarely troubled as he booked a meeting with Barry Hawkins.
Wilson said in quotes on the World Snooker website: "That was a potential banana skin avoided. I think that's the best way to sum it up.
"I was on a bit of a hiding to nothing playing Scott, who is a debutant.
"Firstly I would just like to say I think he handled himself very well, was very professional and I'm sure he will be back here again for many years to come. For me, I'm very pleased to get the win."
Neil Robertson claimed a 5-3 lead over fellow former champion Shaun Murphy after the first session of their second-round encounter.
Murphy failed to pot a ball in the first three frames but fought back to win two of the last three frames and could have compiled a maximum break in the last frame of the session.
After potting 13 reds and 13 blacks, Murphy even paused to ask for the screen separating the tables to be lifted but went on to miss a tough final red into the middle pocket.
Robertson had earlier compiled breaks of 106, 79, 57 and 127 in a high-quality encounter between two players who had lost just one frame between them in the first round.
Three-time champion Mark Selby, meanwhile, finds himself trailing world number 32 Gary Wilson 5-3.
Breaks of 55, 68 and 100 put Wilson into the ascendancy at 3-1 and held his nerve to keep his two-frame lead intact overnight after Selby had narrowed the deficit.
