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Fu confident he'll join world elite

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Hong Kong's Marco Fu is on course to end the season as world number three, a feat achieved by only one other Asian - Thailand's James Wattana in the 1994-95 season.

Fu, 31, is currently ranked fifth and has two tournaments left to play to lift himself into third spot, a task he believes is well within his capabilities.

'I've certainly got a chance of becoming the world number three if I do well at the two tournaments I have left, including the world championship [April 18-May 4],' said Fu, who is in Hong Kong to prepare for the China Open in Beijing later this month.

'I have had a very consistent season and if I can reach the semi-finals in both remaining events, I may be able to move up to third, especially as the world championship carries double ranking points. Of course, I have to hope that the players above me slip up also,' he added.

Following last month's Welsh Open, Fu has 32,850 ranking points, 3,975 behind Ali Carter and 3,825 behind Shaun Murphy. Ronnie O'Sullivan (47,275) and Stephen Maguire (42,350) are the top two players in the world.

With 5,000 points up for grabs at the China Open and double that for winning the world title, Fu needs to reach at least the semi-finals of both events to overtake Carter and Murphy.

'But if I slip up in the last two tournaments, the players behind me can overtake me because they are only a few hundred points in arrears,' Fu added.

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