Jimmy White achieved a two-in-one win and Ding Junhui delighted his home supporters on the opening day of the China Open in Beijing.
The Whirlwind scored a rare victory this season by defeating unknown Chinese amateur Zheng Peng 5-2.
And due to 2006 Welsh Open champion Stephen Lee's withdrawal for personal reasons, White goes straight into the last 16.
After failing to qualify for the final stages of the 888.com World Championship for only the second time in his career, White is looking for an extended run in his last event of the campaign.
But the 44-year-old Londoner did not have things all his own way before reaching the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time since the 2005 Grand Prix.
He trailed Peng 2-1 down but won the next four frames with a top break of 61.
'I nicked the first frame on the colours, otherwise it could have been different,' he admitted.
White, who failed to win a knock-out match in the season's other six ranking events, added: 'At my age you can play well one day, then badly the next.
'I've got three days now to practise at the hotel and make sure I play well on Thursday. I still love this game and I'll keep playing as long as I enjoy it.'
While Peng failed to register a home win, Northern Ireland Trophy champion Junhui led a Chinese charge on the first round proper.
The Wembley Masters runner-up and China Open winner two years ago beat Adrian Gunnell 5-3 to reach the last 32.
Ding produced runs of 82, 97 and 130 in taking a 3-1 lead but struggled to clinch a meeting with Londoner Barry Hawkins.
And Liu Chuang, a 16-year-old from the Liaoning Province, set up a dream tie with hero Ronnie O'Sullivan by beating Devon left hander Andy Hicks 5-4.
Other local heroes were 19-year-old Yu Delu, who beat Joe Jogia 5-1, Li Hang defeated former world amateur champion Ian Preece on the last black of the deciding frame, Mei Xiwen knocked out Alfie Burden 5-2 and Xiao Guodong beat Leicester's Tom Ford 5-3.
But Ulsterman Joe Swail defeated Jin Long 5-4 and Stoke's Jamie Cope, runner-up to Aussie Neil Robertson in this season's Royal London Watches Grand Prix, beat Yang Qintian 5-1.
