John Higgins quickly wrapped up the one frame he needed to beat Ireland's Fergal O'Brien in the 888.com World Championship.
Like Carter, Higgins was leading 12-4 overnight and contributions of 56 and 46 in today's opener were enough to send Higgins through.
After last year's first-round defeat and a below-par season, the 'Wizard of Wishaw' thinks he is peaking at the right time after a devastating second session against O'Brien that contained breaks of 135, 100, 98 and 85.
'It was good to feel like that again - it's been a little while,' said the world number four.
'I felt I wasn't going to miss.
'I feel my game is there and that I can go on and do well. I'm just trying to keep myself focused and calm.
'In the past, I've looked at the draw too much and thought about who I'd like to play, but now I'm just trying to get focused on every match and, if I play well, I have every chance of winning.'
O'Brien paid tribute to way Higgins had played, saying: 'John was brilliant last night, it was fabulous stuff. It was good watch on one level because it gives you good motivation to go back and improve because that's where the bar is.
'It's all good experience and it beats watching someone else being beaten on TV! I felt I was playing well but I ran into John when he was flying last night and in the blink of an eye he was gone.'
Hendry bows out
Stephen Hendry briefly delayed the inevitable before making his anticipated exit.
The seven-time champion resumed his second-round match against Ali Carter trailing 12-4, with the Essex player needing only one more frame to reach the quarter-finals.
It was always going to be a case of Hendry trying to add some respectability to the scoreline and he achieved that to a degree when he took the first two frames without making a half-century break.
But that proved the end of the comeback as Carter took frame 19 without having to do anything exceptional, completing a 13-6 win to book a place in the last eight for the first time.
Hendry's exit completed another campaign without a title for the world number one, who was trying out a new cue in this event after struggling to find his form.
'It was the story of my season out there,' said the 38-year-old Scot.
'For some reason, I can't reproduce the way I play in practice in a match. I don't seem to be able to cue with the same freedom and therefore I can't play my natural game. That's like giving people a 50-point start in every frame.
'I'm obviously lacking confidence - I haven't won a tournament for three years. If you haven't got that ultimate self-belief, you will struggle.
'But I don't want to take anything away from Allister. I thought his performance was fantastic. His safety play especially was some of the best that's ever been played against me. I can't remember being snookered so much in my life.'
Carter, who also beat Hendry in the quarter-finals of this season's Malta Cup, denied it had been the best result of his career but was pleased with the way he had done his job.
'I kept Stephen under pressure and it was a good performance and a good result for me,' said the 27-year-old.
'It's a different kind of pressure going to bed 12-4 up because you have one foot in the quarter-finals but then you think it's still possible for him to win.
'But I was confident with the way I was playing and thought that when I get a good chance I'll take it, and I did.'
