Marco Fu admits 147 maximum break should have been 'impossible' at Hong Kong Masters
Published 08/10/2022 at 15:32 GMT+1
Marco Fu crafted his “best moment as a professional” with a majestic maximum to knock out John Higgins at the Hong Kong Masters. The 44-year-old, who at one stage wondered if he would have to retire from snooker after eye surgery, is having a week to remember after also beating Mark Selby. He will face either Neil Robertson or Ronnie O’Sullivan in Sunday’s final on home turf.
Fu makes 147 maximum break, sparks 'deafening' celebrations at Hong Kong Masters
Video credit: TNT Sports
Marco Fu admitted his 147 maximum break at the Hong Kong Masters should have been “impossible” after spending so long in the snooker wilderness.
The 44-year-old produced a perfect clearance to stun John Higgins in a final-frame decider in their semi-final, setting up a showdown with either Neil Robertson or Ronnie O’Sullivan on Sunday.
“I would say this is probably my best moment so far as a professional,” he said.
“To be able to do something like that in front of a home crowd, in a new stadium. It was probably the best thing I’ve ever achieved."
Fu's exploits are even more remarkable given his playing time has been limited in recent seasons. He had surgery to fix the vision in his left eye – a procedure that left him fearing for his snooker career – and was also hampered by Covid restrictions.
“It’s amazing. I still can’t believe what just happened," he continued.
“The way I’ve been playing in the last two or three months, the calibre of the field in this tournament, and the atmosphere, it was impossible to do something like that.
“I still can’t believe I just did something amazing. I’m just very happy that I’m playing pretty decent to be able to compete against the best players in the world.
“Beating Mark Selby, John Higgins, you can’t get any better than that. Making a 147 is kind of like a bonus.”
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‘I can’t believe what happened’ – Fu on his brilliant 147 maximum
Video credit: TNT Sports
It was Fu’s fifth career maximum and, perhaps oddly given the situation, he said he felt relaxed throughout the break.
“It’s kind of funny, because I’ve made a few 147s in the past, this was probably one of the calmest I’ve felt all the way through,” he said.
“Maybe because I didn’t expect too much from myself. I just wanted to win the last frame. It could be one visit, two, three. It doesn’t matter.
“I was just trying to play one ball at a time, I didn’t really think about the 147.
“I haven’t made a century break in, I don’t know, the last 10 matches or something. So that’s a bit of a drought.
“To make a 147, it wasn’t really planned. I was just trying to play to a decent standard. To be able to get to the final is amazing.”
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Stream the Hong Kong Masters live on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk
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