2018 runner-up Kyren Wilson won five frames on the bounce as he kicked off this year's Masters with a 6-2 victory over Gary Wilson.
Gary Wilson earned a late call-up to the event following Saturday's news that Judd Trump and Jack Lisowski will miss the tournament owing to positive Covid-19 tests, and his mood would have been lifted further when he found himself 2-1 in front thanks to breaks of 85 and a terrific clearance in 43 in frame three.
However, Kyren Wilson hit straight back with the first century of this year's competition, a well-compiled 108 allowing him to level the scores at the mid-session interval and setting him up for the strong finish that ensued.
Kyren Wilson returned from the break by dominating frame five and he inflicted a real body-blow on his opponent in the sixth frame after Gary Wilson broke down on 51 when seemingly on course to level up again.
Instead, Kyren Wilson worked his way back into the frame and got over the line with the help of two huge flukes that saw him extend his lead to 4-2.
With the match now only heading in one direction, Kyren Wilson put his foot down and produced a flawless total clearance of 136 in frame seven, before closing out the match with a cool run of 65 moments later.
Kyren Wilson told the BBC afterwards: "I'm really happy with that. I thought my match-play was really strong; I've been playing John Higgins for the last four days so if that's not going to improve your match-play, I don't know what is."
On the late change of opponent, he added: "You mentally prepare for an opponent - we found out who we were playing before Christmas - so you have weeks to visualise who you're going to play and how you're going to play, so it doesn't give you much time to prepare for another one.
"It doesn’t give you much time to prepare for another one but these are the times and fair play to World Snooker for sorting it out because a bye would have been no good.
"The Masters is a high-pressure tournament and I had it in my head that if I could try and keep him under it, hopefully he would suffer with a little bit of nerves and realise the occasion. Thankfully for myself, I'm building up my experience in this event now."
Gilbert routs sorry Perry
David Gilbert took advantage of a ragged display from Joe Perry to complete a 6-2 victory and progress to the quarter-finals.
Perry was another to be called up as a late replacement following the withdrawals of Judd Trump and Jack Lisowski on Saturday, but his poor form continued here as he struggled throughout.
Gilbert, himself, has been unable to find his very best form so far this season, but he looked much more like his old self as he reeled off breaks of 58, 62, 60, 71 and 54 in a comprehensive win.
Gilbert raced out of the blocks to lead 5-0 thanks to four contributions of over fifty, as well as a crucial clearance from green up to and including in the black in frame two after Perry had appeared certain get his first frame on the board.
In the end, Perry had to wait until frame six to finally get up and running, a hand of 73 ensuring he avoided a whitewash before he added a break of 108 in frame seven to reduce his arrears to 5-2.
However, any hopes of a famous comeback when extinguished when Gilbert closed out the match with another half-century, one that set up a last-eight clash with Kyren Wilson.
- Watch the London Masters live on Eurosport and Eurosport app from Jan 10
