Marco Fu – ‘I’m not going to pull out, no matter what’

Marco Fu is determined to try his utmost to reach the Crucible Theatre after winning his second World Snooker Championship qualifying match on Friday.

The two-time former semi-finalist hasn’t featured at the venue stages since 2018 but beat Ken Doherty 10-6 to reach the penultimate preliminary round in Sheffield.

Fu trailed the 1997 world champion 5-4 after the opening session but reeled off breaks of 136, 104, 97, 71, and 61 in the evening session to advance.

The 46 year-old from Hong Kong is a former world number five and a three-time ranking event winner but has struggled with various issues in recent seasons.

The former Masters runner-up was badly impacted by the restrictions of the global pandemic, and he has also suffered from eye problems that have affected his vision.

After beating Mark Selby in January, Fu had to forfeit a match at the German Masters as a result of the latter concern.

However, Fu has no intentions of making the same decision in this event having made it halfway through the qualifying competition at the English Institute of Sport.

“It’s always been a privilege, a dream for everybody, just to be able to play at the Crucible,” Marco Fu, who will next face Hossein Vafaei, told the World Snooker Tour.

“I miss playing there, definitely. But I’m just going to take it one match at a time. I needed to win four matches here, I’ve won two.”

“That’s just halfway. It’s going to get more difficult from now on, so I’m just going to enjoy it.

“That’s the most important thing, I’m starting to enjoy my snooker again. That’s a big plus already. The Crucible is the dream, but one match at a time.

“[The eye problem] is on and off. That could happen tomorrow, that could happen any time. But I’m not going to pull out, no matter what happens here.

“I’m just going to try my best, try any way to win. Qualifying for the Crucible would be my goal, but next up is a very tough opponent in Hossein.

“I just need to be 100% and hopefully my eyes will be okay for that match.

“I want to play as long as I can, as long as I’m enjoying myself and playing snooker to a decent standard. That’s important as well.

“If I can play to the standard tonight, there’s no reason why I can’t just carry on.”

Elsewhere, 2006 world champion Graeme Dott recorded a 10-5 triumph over Mostafa Dorgham while Irishman Aaron Hill thumped Daniel Womersley 10-3.

It was even better for veteran Andy Hicks, with the 1995 World Championship semi-finalist thrashing Long Zehuang 10-2.

Chinese duo Ma Hailong and Jiang Jun secured tight successes against Martin O’Donnell and Fan Zhengyi respectively.

Oliver Brown beat Dylan Emery 10-8 and Julien Leclercq easily dismantled the challenge of Haydon Pinhey in day five’s other results.

The heavy hitters, meanwhile, will begin to enter the fray in this year’s World Snooker Championship qualifying competition on Saturday.

Those ranked from 17 to 48 in the world rankings join the action in the third round, including the likes of Jack Lisowski, Ricky Walden, Matthew Stevens, and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh who are all involved on day six.

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World Snooker Championship qualifiers draw

All matches are the best of 19 frames played across two sessions.
Scorelines in italics indicate the end of the first session.

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Qualifier 1

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Jimmy White w/o Martin Gould	Jimmy White 3-10 Liu Hongyu	Liu Hongyu 4-10 Jack Lisowski
				Jack Lisowski 10-3 Matthew Stevens
2	Ryan Thomerson 3-10 Liam Davies	Liam Davies 2-10 Jimmy Robertson	Jimmy Robertson 6-10 Matthew Stevens

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Qualifier 2

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
3	Ian Burns 10-1 Dean Young	Ian Burns 10-7 Mark Joyce	Ian Burns 7-10 Ricky Walden
				Ricky Walden 10-9 Mark Davis
4	Andy Lee 9-10 Andrew Pagett	Andrew Pagett 2-10 Mark Davis	Mark Davis 10-8 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh

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Qualifier 3

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
5	Rory Thor 10-2 Hamza Ilyas	Rory Thor 8-10 David Grace	David Grace 6-10 Dominic Dale
				Dominic Dale 10-8 He Guoqiang
6	Ross Muir 10-9 Cheung Ka Wai	Ross Muir 8-10 He Guoqiang	He Guoqiang 10-5 Anthony McGill

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Qualifier 4

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
7	Alfie Burden 10-1 Rebecca Kenna	Alfie Burden 10-3 Xu Si	Alfie Burden 5-10 Jamie Jones
				Jamie Jones 10-9 Neil Robertson
8	Ishpreet Singh Chadha 6-10 Gao Yang	Gao Yang 6-10 Zak Surety	Zac Surety 2-10 Neil Robertson

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Qualifier 5

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
9	Sean O’Sullivan 8-10 Bulscu Revesz	Bulscu Revesz 8-10 James Cahill	James Cahill 0-10 Zhou Yuelong
				Zhou Yuelong 4-10 Jak Jones
10	Andres Petrov 10-1 Ahmed Elsayed	Andres Petrov 7-10 Jamie Clarke	Jamie Clarke 6-10 Jak Jones

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Qualifier 6

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
11	Adam Duffy 10-5 Mink Nutcharut	Adam Duffy 4-10 Ashley Hugill	Ashley Hugill 7-10 Stephen Maguire
				Stephen Maguire 10-6 Yuan Sijun
12	Andrew Higginson 10-7 Duane Jones	Andrew Higginson 8-10 Michael White	Michael White 8-10 Yuan Sijun

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Qualifier 7

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
13	Louis Heathcote 10-4 Oliver Sykes	Louis Heathcote 10-7 Oliver Lines	Louis Heathcote 10-8 Elliot Slessor
				Louis Heathcote 8-10 Stuart Bingham
14	Stuart Carrington 10-5 Himanshu Jain	Stuart Carrington 10-9 Liam Highfield	Stuart Carrington 9-10 Stuart Bingham

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Qualifier 8

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
15	Alexander Ursenbacher 10-0 Iulian Boiko	Alexander Ursenbacher 7-10 Anthony Hamilton	Anthony Hamilton 5-10 Robbie Williams
				Robbie Williams 10-9 Chris Wakelin
16	Allan Taylor 10-6 Vladislav Gradinari	Allan Taylor 9-10 Lukas Kleckers	Lukas Kleckers 5-10 Chris Wakelin

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Qualifier 9

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
17	Marco Fu 10-1 Baipat Siripaporn	Marco Fu 10-6 Ken Doherty	Marco Fu 4-10 Hossein Vafaei
				Hossein Vafaei 10-5 Jiang Jun
18	Jiang Jun 10-6 Amir Sarkhosh	Jiang Jun 10-8 Fan Zhengyi	Jiang Jun 10-8 Sam Craigie

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Qualifier 10

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
19	Hammad Miah 2-10 Haydon Pinhey	Haydon Pinhey 3-10 Julien Leclercq	Julien Leclercq 1-10 Joe O’Connor
				Joe O’Connor 10-8 Matthew Selt
20	Daniel Womersley w/o Muhammad Asif	Daniel Womersley 3-10 Aaron Hill	Aaron Hill 4-10 Matthew Selt

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Qualifier 11

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
21	Ma Hailong 10-1 Victor Sarkis	Ma Hailong 10-7 Martin O’Donnell	Ma Hailong 4-10 Cao Yupeng
				Cao Yupeng 8-10 Pang Junxu
22	Oliver Brown 10-0 Reanne Evans	Oliver Brown 10-8 Dylan Emery	Oliver Brown 7-10 Pang Junxu

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Qualifier 12

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
23	Fergal O’Brien 8-10 Mostafa Dorgham	Mostafa Dorgham 5-10 Graeme Dott	Graeme Dott 5-10 Jackson Page
				Jackson Page 10-9 Noppon Saengkham
24	Long Zehuang 10-1 Sydney Wilson	Long Zehuang 2-10 Andy Hicks	Andy Hicks 5-10 Noppon Saengkham

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Qualifier 13

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
25	Rod Lawler 10-7 Gong Chenzhi	Rod Lawler 9-10 Ben Mertens	Ben Mertens 9-10 Si Jiahui
				Si Jiahui 10-4 Wu Yize
26	Stan Moody 6-10 Mohamed Shehab	Mohamed Shebab 8-10 Tian Pengfei	Tian Pengfei 8-10 Wu Yize

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Qualifier 14

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
27	Xing Zihao 10-6 Michael Holt	Xing Zihao 5-10 Daniel Wells	Daniel Wells 8-10 Lyu Haotian
				Lyu Haotian 10-7 Jenson Kendrick
28	Jenson Kendrick 10-7 Bai Yulu	Jenson Kendrick 10-8 Ben Woollaston	Jenson Kendrick 10-5 Jordan Brown

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Qualifier 15

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
29	Liam Pullen 10-3 Anton Kazakov	Liam Pullen 8-10 Sanderson Lam	Sanderson Lam 2-10 Xiao Guodong
				Xiao Guodong 6-10 David Gilbert
30	Peng Yisong 10-5 Manasawin Phetmalaikul	Peng Yisong 9-10 David Lilley	David Lilley 4-10 David Gilbert

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Qualifier 16

Route	R1	R2	R3	R4
31	Mohamed Ibrabim 6-10 Peter Lines	Peter Lines 6-10 Scott Donaldson	Scott Donaldson 10-6 Joe Perry
				Scott Donaldson 9-10 Ryan Day
32	Ashley Carty 10-4 Liam Graham	Ashley Carty 6-10 John Astley	John Astley 6-10 Ryan Day

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Featured photo credit: WST