World Snooker Championship: English wonderkid could reach Crucible – but old hand Marco Fu is out

Hongkonger faces losing his place on pro tour, having missed tournaments for much of the pandemic and now fallen at first hurdle in Sheffield preliminaries

The sport’s ultimate showcase could feature English 16-year-old Stan Moody after he wins his first qualifying match

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Marco Fu has resumed playing in tournaments abroad after staying in Hong Kong during the pandemic. Photo: World Snooker Tour

Published: 7:00am, 5 Apr 2023

Snooker wonderkid Stan Moody took a step towards qualifying for this month’s World Championship at the Crucible as the English 16-year-old stormed through the first preliminary round.

But the qualifiers brought a blow for Hong Kong’s Marco Fu Ka-chun, whose future on the professional circuit was left in jeopardy when he was knocked out at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

Fu, the former world No 5, lost 10-5 t0 Martin O’Donnell, who moved forward to a second-round meeting with Jimmy White.

The Hongkonger now needs a wild card from World Snooker Tour to extend his tour status, or must fight for it through the Q School qualifying process.

Marco Fu shone on the big stage at the Hong Kong Masters in October, but he lacks ranking points. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

He has resumed participating overseas since his remarkable showing in his hometown Hong Kong Masters last October, when he registered a maximum 147 break to win his semi-final before losing the final 6-4 to Ronnie O’Sullivan.

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