Marco Fu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Marco Fu

Fu at the 2014 German Masters
Born	(1978-01-08) 8 January 1978 (age 47) British Hong Kong
Sport country	Hong Kong
Professional	1998–present
Highest ranking	5 (June 2017)
Current ranking	18 (as of 8 May 2018)
Tournament wins
Ranking	3
Minor-ranking	1
Medal record Men's snooker Representing  Hong Kong Asian Games Gold 1998 Bangkok Team Silver 2002 Busan Doubles Gold 2002 Busan Team Silver 2006 Doha Doubles Silver 2006 Doha Team Gold 2010 Guangzhou Singles East Asian Games Gold 2009 Hong Kong Team

Marco Fu Ka-chun (born January 8, 1978) is a professional snooker player from Hong Kong. He has won three major snooker tournaments. These include the 2007 Grand Prix, the 2013 Australian Goldfields Open, and the 2016 Scottish Open. Marco Fu also reached the finals of two important events, the 2008 UK Championship and the 2011 Masters. He made it to the semi-finals of the World Snooker Championship twice, in 2006 and 2016.

Fu reached his highest ranking of fifth in the world in 2017. He became a professional player in 1998 and has been playing on the World Snooker Tour ever since. He is known for making many high scores, called century breaks. He has made over 500 century breaks and five perfect maximum breaks. Marco Fu is a well-known figure in Hong Kong. He even hosted a TV show called Marco Fu and Friends.

Marco Fu's Snooker Journey

Starting Out in Snooker

Marco Fu was born in Hong Kong on January 8, 1978. He started playing snooker when he was nine years old. But he didn't play regularly until he was 15. When he was 12, his family moved to Vancouver, Canada. After finishing high school at 18, he was invited back to Hong Kong. This was to start his career as a professional snooker player. Before turning pro, he won two big amateur championships in 1997. These were the IBSF World Snooker Championship and the IBSF World Under-21 Snooker Championship.

He became a professional player for the 1998–99 season. In his first year, he reached the final of the Grand Prix. He beat famous players like Ronnie O'Sullivan and Peter Ebdon. However, he lost to Stephen Lee in the final. He was named the best new player of the year in 1999.

Climbing the Ranks (1999–2003)

In the 1999–2000 season, Marco Fu was ranked 35th in the world. He started getting into the main parts of most tournaments automatically. He reached the quarter-finals of the Grand Prix. He also made it to the semi-finals of the 2000 Malta Grand Prix and the Scottish Open. By the 2000–01 season, he was ranked 15th, which was his first time in the top 16.

However, he had some tough losses and fell out of the top 16. In the 2001–02 season, his best result was reaching the last 16 at the LG Cup. His ranking dropped to 27th.

In the 2002–03 season, he did well at the Welsh Open. He beat Stephen Lee and Ronnie O'Sullivan. He then lost to Stephen Hendry in the semi-finals. At the 2003 World Snooker Championship, he surprised everyone by beating world number one Ronnie O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan even made a perfect maximum break in that match. Fu then beat Alan McManus before losing to Stephen Lee in the quarter-finals. Later that year, Fu won his first professional title. This was the invitational Premier League, where he beat Mark Williams in the final.

Winning His First Big Title (2004–2008)

After his success at the World Championship, Fu's ranking went up to 19th. He reached the semi-finals of the Welsh Open. He beat several top players before losing to Steve Davis. He finished the season ranked 16th.

In the 2005–06 season, he had a great run at the 2006 World Snooker Championship. He beat three seeded players and reached the semi-finals. He lost a very close match to Peter Ebdon, 16–17. This strong performance helped him stay in the world's top 32.

Marco Fu after winning the 2007 Grand Prix

In the 2006–07 season, Marco Fu won his first ranking event title. This was the 2007 Grand Prix. He beat the world champion John Higgins and then faced Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final. Fu won the final 9–6, making a great break in the last frame. He also reached the quarter-finals of the 2007 UK Championship and the semi-finals of the 2008 Masters. He finished the season ranked 14th, a big jump from before.

UK Championship Finalist (2008–2010)

The 2008–09 season saw Fu reach the final of the 2008 UK Championship. He beat several players, including Ali Carter in the semi-finals. In the final, he played Shaun Murphy and lost a very close match, 9–10.

In December 2009, Fu played in the 2009 East Asian Games in Hong Kong. He won a gold medal in the team competition. He also won the 2010 Championship League by beating Mark Allen 3–2 in the final. At the 2010 World Snooker Championship, he lost a close first-round match to Martin Gould, 9–10.

Masters Finalist (2010–2015)

Marco Fu at the 2011 German Masters

In November 2010, Fu won the singles competition at the Asian Games in Guangzhou. He beat Ding Junhui 4–2 in the final. He also reached the semi-finals of the Premier League.

He reached the final of the 2011 Masters, where he lost to Ding Junhui 4–10. Fu also made it to the semi-finals of the 2011 German Masters. He finished the season ranked 23rd in the world.

In the 2011–12 season, Fu made his second perfect maximum break. This happened during a qualifying round for the World Open. His best result was reaching the quarter-finals of the 2011 UK Championship. He finished the season ranked 28th.

Fu showed good form at the 2012 Australian Goldfields Open, reaching the semi-finals. He also made it to the quarter-finals of the 2012 International Championship. At the 2013 German Masters, he reached his first ranking event final since 2008. He lost to Ali Carter 6–9.

Fu taking a shot at the 2013 German Masters

He played in several smaller tournaments and reached a final in 2012. He also made it to the quarter-finals of the PTC Finals. At the 2013 World Snooker Championship, he beat Matthew Stevens before losing to Judd Trump in the second round. He finished the season ranked 17th, moving up 11 spots.

The 2013 Australian Goldfields Open was a big moment for Fu. He defeated top players like Shaun Murphy and Neil Robertson. He won the final against Neil Robertson 9–6, earning his second ranking event title. This win helped him get back into the top 16 world rankings. He also reached the final of a minor-ranking event, the Bluebell Wood Open. Another final followed at the 2013 International Championship, where he lost a very close match to Ding Junhui, 9–10.

Fu reached the quarter-finals of the Welsh Open and the semi-finals of the World Open. He also made it to the semi-finals of the PTC Finals. At the 2014 World Snooker Championship, he lost to Shaun Murphy in the second round.

In the 2014–15 season, Fu reached seven quarter-finals. He made his third perfect maximum break at the Masters in his first-round match. He then lost to Ronnie O'Sullivan in the quarter-finals. He also reached the quarter-finals of the 2014 UK Championship and the Welsh Open. For the ninth season in a row, he couldn't get past the second round of the 2015 World Snooker Championship.

Later Career Highlights (2015–2019)

In the 2015–16 season, Fu won the non-ranking General Cup. He also made another perfect maximum break at the Gibraltar Open. He won this event, which was his first title with ranking points since 2013. At the 2016 World Snooker Championship, he reached the semi-finals for the second time. He played a very close match against Mark Selby but lost 15–17.

The 2016–17 season was strong for Fu. He reached the semi-finals of the 2016 UK Championship, losing to Ronnie O'Sullivan. Before the end of 2016, Fu won the Scottish Open. He beat John Higgins 9–4 in the final, winning eight frames in a row. He made 11 century breaks during this tournament.

At the 2017 Masters, he reached the semi-finals again, losing to O'Sullivan. He also made it to the semi-finals of the 2017 World Grand Prix. Fu reached the final of the Players Championship, but lost to Judd Trump 8–10. At the 2017 World Snooker Championship, he had a tough first-round match but won 10–9. He then beat Neil Robertson 13–11 before losing to the eventual champion Mark Selby. After this event, he was ranked sixth in the world, his highest career ranking.

The 2017–18 season was challenging for Marco Fu. He had laser eye surgery in December to fix problems with his left eye. He later said he regretted playing in the Masters while still recovering. He took a break from tournaments to fully recover. He returned at the 2018 World Snooker Championship but lost in the first round.

After his eye surgery, he reached the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Open and the 2020 European Masters.

Recent Career (2020-Present)

In February 2020, Marco Fu returned to Hong Kong due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He did not play in any events for a while, and his ranking dropped. However, he was given a special invitation to stay on the tour.

Fu returned to professional snooker at the 2022 World Snooker Championship. He lost in the first qualifying round. As travel rules eased, he played more in the 2022-23 season. He reached the third round of the 2022 European Masters. He was also invited to play in the 2022 Hong Kong Masters as a local player. He reached the final of this event. In his semi-final match against John Higgins, he made his fifth perfect maximum break in the final frame.

At the end of the 2022-23 season, Fu received another two-year invitation to stay on the tour. In a qualifying match for the 2025 World Snooker Championship, he made a special break of 139 points. This was a "16-red total clearance," meaning he potted all 15 reds, a free ball, and then cleared the colors. He is only the seventh player to do this. Even though his ranking was outside the top 64, he was given another two-year invitational card to continue playing.

Marco Fu's Achievements

Marco Fu is known for making many high breaks. He made his 500th century break at the 2019 Scottish Open. He has made a perfect maximum break five times in professional matches. He also once held the record for the longest frame in televised snooker, which lasted 77 minutes. This record was later broken.

In 2000, he received the Medal of Honour.

Marco Fu's Life Outside Snooker

Marco Fu studied in Vancouver, Canada. He has also lived in England, Wales, and Scotland. He got married in 2011 and has two daughters, born in 2012 and 2015. His wife and daughters moved back to Hong Kong in 2016 for their education. In 2017, he was appointed as a Justice of the Peace in Hong Kong.

Fu is a Buddhist, influenced by his mother. He has been a vegetarian since 2003. He hosted a ten-episode TV show in Hong Kong called Marco Fu and Friends. On the show, he chatted with Hong Kong celebrities and played a game of snooker with them.

Career Finals

Below is a list of finals Marco Fu has played in.

Ranking Finals: 8 (3 titles)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Runner-up	1.	1998	Grand Prix	Lee, StephenStephen Lee	2–9
Winner	1.	2007	Grand Prix	O'Sullivan, RonnieRonnie O'Sullivan	9–6
Runner-up	2.	2008	UK Championship	Murphy, ShaunShaun Murphy	9–10
Runner-up	3.	2013	German Masters	Carter, AliAli Carter	6–9
Winner	2.	2013	Australian Goldfields Open	Robertson, NeilNeil Robertson	9–6
Runner-up	4.	2013	International Championship	Ding Junhui	9–10
Winner	3.	2016	Scottish Open	John Higgins	9–4
Runner-up	5.	2017	Players Championship	Judd Trump	8–10

Minor-ranking finals: 3 (1 title)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Runner-up	1.	2012	UK PTC Event 3	Rod Lawler	2–4
Runner-up	2.	2013	Bluebell Wood Open	Ricky Walden	3–4
Winner	1.	2015	Gibraltar Open	Michael White	4–1

Non-ranking finals: 10 (5 titles)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Runner-up	1.	1999	Scottish Masters Qualifying Event	Matthew Stevens	1–5
Winner	1.	2003	Premier League	Mark Williams	9–5
Runner-up	2.	2003	Euro-Asia Masters Challenge – Event 2	Ken Doherty	2–5
Winner	2.	2004	World Champions v Asia Stars Challenge	John Higgins	5–1
Winner	3.	2006	Thailand Masters	Issara Kachaiwong	5–3
Runner-up	3.	2008	Huangshan Cup	Ali Carter	3–5
Winner	4.	2010	Championship League	Mark Allen	3–2
Runner-up	4.	2011	The Masters	Ding Junhui	4–10
Winner	5.	2015	General Cup	Mark Williams	7–3
Runner-up	5.	2022	Hong Kong Masters	Ronnie O'Sullivan	4–6

Pro–am finals: 1 (1 title)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Winner	1.	2010	Asian Games	Ding Junhui	4–2

Team finals: 1

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Team/partner	Opponent(s) in the final	Score
Runner-up	1.	2018	Macau Masters	Joe Perry Zhang Anda Mark Williams	Barry Hawkins Ryan Day Zhao Xintong Zhou Yuelong	1–5

Amateur finals: 2 (2 titles)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score	Ref
Winner	1.	1997	IBSF World Under-21 Championship	Bjorn Haneveer	11–7
Winner	2.	1997	IBSF World Amateur Championship	Stuart Bingham	11–10

See also

In Spanish: Marco Fu para niños