Ali Carter knocked world champion Mark Selby out of the British Open with a 3-0 second-round win in Leicester, while Ireland's Ken Doherty lost 3-1 to English opponent Joe O'Connor.
Selby had been hoping to make the most of home advantage and build some momentum on the back of his opening victory over Shaun Murphy, the man he defeated to lift the world title at the Crucible in May.
Carter, though, was in fine form, as the 'Captain', chasing his first silverware for five years, produced a break of 107 followed by another half-century in the third frame to clinch a memorable win at the Morningside Arena.
1997 world champion Doherty lost the opening frame to O'Connor but fought back to win the second 65-53 and level proceedings.
But the Englishman won the final two frames to advance 3-1 in Thursday's evening session.
Judd Trump - aiming to retain his world number one ranking with a run to at least the quarter-finals - beat Stuart Bingham 3-1 to book a place in the last 32 against Elliot Slessor.
Trump has been top of the rankings since August 2019, but Selby's victory in Sheffield narrowed the gap significantly and put his rival's position under threat.
"I just want to go out and win every tournament," Trump said on ITV4 after his victory over Bingham.
"If I win five or six every season, then in my head, I am the best there is and that is my aim again this year."
Earlier, John Higgins staged a fightback to defeat China's Cao Yupeng 3-2 and the Scot will meet Ricky Walden in the third round.
Gary Wilson, meanwhile, recorded a comfortable 3-0 win over seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry.
Afterwards, Wilson labelled the match "an embarrassment" of a display from both players.
"I'm going to be totally honest, I don't know what to say about that game," Wilson told ITV.
"Stephen's trying to get back to where he was before, but to be honest, that was an embarrassment.
"The whole match was an embarrassment really, Stephen would probably tell you the same if he was being ultra honest.
"Dear me, the balls that were being snatched and missed. It was pretty bad."
Veteran Jimmy White saw his hopes ended after defeat to Allan Taylor, but Hammad Miah, back on the tour after coming through Q School, progressed after a 3-1 win over Liang Wenbo, and amateur Ross Muir is also through on the back of a 3-0 victory over Rory McLeod.
Xu Si beat Barry Pinches and Luca Brecel defeated China's Zhao Jianbo, while German Lukas Kleckers edged out Louis Heathcote in a last-frame decider.
