Ken Doherty won an entertaining all-Irish encounter to secure a place in the second round of the Malta Cup.
The Dubliner compiled two century breaks as he defeated Belfast's Joe Swail 5-3.
Doherty, 36, had lost to Swail in this season's Grand Prix, and in the final of the Irish Professional Championship.
“It was nice to get one over on Joe because he's had the better of our meetings lately,” said Doherty. “I knew it would be tough because he's having a really good season.
“It hurt when he beat me in the Irish final but I don't look at this as revenge because he's such a good friend.”
Doherty, the 1997 Crucible champion, started sharply as he secured the opening frame with a run of 106.
Swail, also 36, dropped 10 places in the rankings last season to lie 40th in the world but has qualified for the final stages of the first five ranking events and is one match away from the TV phase of the World Championship.
And the two-time Crucible semi-finalist used his tactical craft to edge 2-1 ahead before Doherty's 68 made it 2-2.
Doherty also won the fifth frame before a clinical 133 total clearance put him 4-2 ahead. The world number 11 had to sit out a run of 104 from Swail in the seventh frame but clinched the eighth in three scoring visits to claim his last-16 place.
