ALI Carter wasted no time in booking his place in the first tournament of the season.

The Chelmsford-based Carter defeated Billy Joe Castle 4-0 in qualifying for the Riga Masters on Monday evening.

Carter looked in fine fettle in his first competitive snooker since last April’s World Championships.

A match-high break of 106 in the third frame was followed by a break of 61 as he comfortably booked his place in the first round draw in Latvia.

The competition gets underway at the end of the month, beginning on July 27.

Carter’s next challenge is to secure progress to the first round of the World Open, with his qualifying match against 106 ranked Basem Eltahhan to come on Saturday.