Marco Fu crashes out of qualifying for snooker’s UK Championship despite ‘glimpses of brilliance’
- The 44-year-old shows fight but loses in the third round of qualifying in Sheffield after his Hong Kong Masters heroics
- Another match against John Higgins is next after ‘disappointment’ of missing out on the Barbican in York
After his hometown heroics at the Hong Kong Masters, Marco Fu will miss out on the UK Championship following a disappointment exit in the third round of qualifying.
The 44-year-old beat China’s Bai Langning 6-2 and England’s Oliver Lines 6-4 in the first two qualifying rounds in Sheffield, with a total of five century breaks. But his win streak was ended in a 6-3 defeat by Britain’s Anthony Hamilton on Tuesday.
“Marco showed glimpses of his brilliance again with five centuries,” head coach Wayne Griffiths said. “But he wanted a run to the last 32 in York, so he will be disappointed to bow out at this stage.”
Fu will face the world No 5 in the German Masters qualifiers at Leicester’s Morningside Arena on November 25.
“Marco will know he will need to bring his best as John is one of the most consistent players on tour,” Griffiths added. “Having beaten him in Hong Kong, Marco can draw some confidence, but it will not mean a lot when they line up in Leicester.
