Martin Gould comfortably booked his spot at the venue stages of the Northern Ireland Open on Sunday in Wigan.
The Englishman’s highest break was just 56, but he had more than enough too see off the challenge of Michael Judge with a 4-0 scoreline.
Gould, a former German Masters winner, is currently down at number 32 in the world rankings and hoping to bounce back this season with some improved form.
Another former top 16 member who is in a similar situation is Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, who survived a battle for tour survival at the end of the last season.
The Thai scored breaks of 85, 66, and 51 in overcoming Chris Wakelin, guaranteeing his presence at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast in October.
Among the others to advance to the last 64 of the competition were Jackson Page and David Grace.
The latter edged Lei Peifan 4-2 while Page matched that score with a similar victory against Robbie Williams.
On what was the final day of preliminary-round action at the Robin Park Leisure Centre, Tian Pengfei, Hammad Miah, and Sean O’Sullivan secured successes as well.
Tian dominated his tie with Ian Burns to claim a whitewash win over the Englishman, with Miah and O’Sullivan defeating James Cahill and Jamie O’Neill respectively.
The venue stages of the Northern Ireland Open will take place from October 16 to 23.
Sunday’s results
Tian Pengfei 4-0 Ian Burns
Sean O’Sullivan 4-1 Jamie O’Neill
Jackson Page 4-2 Robbie Williams
David Grace 4-2 Lei Peifan
Martin Gould 4-0 Michael Judge
Hammad Miah 4-2 James Cahill
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 4-1 Chris Wakelin
Featured photo credit: WST
