Marco Fu likely to retain place on pro snooker tour despite drop in ranking caused by Covid-19 pandemic inactivity
- World governing body chief Jason Ferguson says Fu was hindered by travel restrictions out of Hong Kong and is likely to receive an invitational tour card
- Fu, a former world No 5, has dropped to 72 in the world but still plays ‘like a top 15 player’, according to HKSI coach David Roe
Hong Kong’s former world No 5 Marco Fu Ka-chun is expected to be given a special invitational card to compete as a professional in the 2021/22 World Snooker Tour (WST) season after dropping out of the top 64 and losing his right to an automatic place.
Fu and other Hong Kong players have been unable to travel to the United Kingdom to compete in tournaments and maintain their rankings because of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the Hong Kong Sports Institute medical staff opting to play it safe.
As a result, Fu has dropped to 72 but World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) chairman Jason Ferguson said the Hong Kong player was likely to retain his place on the tour.
“It is highly likely Marco will receive an invitational tour card due to travel restrictions and not being able to compete,” Ferguson told the Post. “We are likely to have all this signed off very quickly now.”
Fu has been a professional for more than 20 years and is a popular figure on the world tour. He has won three ranking tournaments, compiled 500 career century breaks and has managed to maintain his place among the top 16 players in the world until more than a year ago.
Ferguson’s assurance comes a day after the WPBSA said that Hong Kong’s three-time women’s world champion Ng On-yee would make history and become the first Asian woman to play on the WST.
