Hong Kong snooker ace Marco Fu wants return to world tour, but likely to be next season and with a different attitude
- The Hong Kong professional has a two-season tour card but has yet to return to the circuit in Britain because of the Covid-19 pandemic
- Fu encourages women’s champion Ng On-yee to keep working hard on tour even though she has failed to pick up a victory since the start of the season
Snooker professional Marco Fu Ka-chun is still hankering for a return to the world circuit, although it is unlikely to be this season. And when he does play again, it will be with a different attitude.
Earlier this year, the World Snooker Tour handed out four invitational tour cards and the Hong Kong player, a two-time World Championship semi-finalist, was one of the recipients along with former world champions Stephen Hendry and Ken Doherty, and Jimmy White, a six-time Crucible runner-up.
However, the 43-year-old has yet to make a start this season and has not played since returning from the Welsh Open in early 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic remains a global threat, especially in Great Britain.
Ng and Fu miss British Open, ‘major blow’ to China return
“My tour card is for two seasons and therefore I can still rejoin the tour at an appropriate time,” said Fu, who appeared in a charity function in Tsuen Wan on Sunday to promote the sport with members of pop band Mirror. “But with the pandemic still affecting many countries in the world, especially the new variant cases in Great Britain, I don’t think this is the appropriate time to go.”
England’s Covid rules are being toughened in response to concerns over the Omicron variant. It was also reported that British Airways had temporarily suspended passenger flights to and from Hong Kong.
However, Hong Kong’s top women’s player Ng On-yee is currently in England playing tournaments after the three-time world champion was also handed a two-year tour card by the governing body.
Marco Fu caught in crossfire over tour wild card
But Fu said his case was different from his Hong Kong counterpart.
“I can’t follow Ng as she can spend a year overseas without coming back but I have my own family in Hong Kong. I can’t leave them and just keep playing overseas on my own,” said Fu. “The season will end after the World Championship in May next year and I don’t think I can go there before that under the current pandemic situation, maybe next season.
“But even if I go back to the tour again, I may not carry the same attitude as before. Of course, I still want to win, still want to get a better ranking but I will not be taking a ‘do-or-die’ attitude like before.”
Fu also encouraged Ng to keep working hard in England with the former women’s world No 1 yet to pick up a victory on the professional tour.
“She has been a bit unlucky in her draw playing against some top players like Shaun Murphy, Stuart Bingham and Yan Bingtao,” said Fu. “Her first match against Craig Steadman in the German Masters qualifiers was crucial but she lost 5-4 after leading several times.”
Fu also said he would be happy to be involved in the 2030 Asian Games in Doha, but was not sure if he would go as a player or in another role.
