‘Ronnie O’Sullivan is in the same rank as Roger Federer, Lionel Messi, Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan’ – Marco Fu
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Updated 10/10/2022 at 12:55 GMT
Ronnie O’Sullivan is among some of sports greatest ever names according to Marco Fu, who compared the seven-time world champion to Roger Federer, Lionel Messi, Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan. Fu was speaking after he lost the Hong Kong Masters final to O’Sullivan 6-4 after having his best week in the tour since making his return after not playing competitively for over two years.
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Marco Fu says Ronnie O’Sullivan is in the same rank as sporting legends such as Roger Federer, Lionel Messi, Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan.
Fu was beaten 6-4 by O’Sullivan in front of nearly 9,000 fans inside the Hong Kong Coliseum, which set a new record for fan attendance at a snooker match.
The crowd were clearly knowledgeable, clapping and cheering on the tactical and positional side of the game, as well as the long shots.
“I am very happy, glad to make history with Ronnie and break the record,” said Fu after the match. “Thank you to every player who came to this tournament in Hong Kong.
“It was a privilege to play against Ronnie. He is in the same rank as Federer, Messi, Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan.
“I hope Ronnie carries on playing. Whenever Ronnie plays, we should support him.”
The tournament was the first event in Hong Kong since 2017, with the snooker tour making occasional appearances to the city over the last three decades.
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“There isn’t snooker tournament in Hong Kong every year,” said Fu. “I hope the tournament is not held once every five or 10 years in Hong Kong.
“This tournament should be held annually for fans in Hong Kong. It brought joy to fans especially during Covid-19.”
Fu made an incredible 147 in the deciding frame of his semi-final with John Higgins to reach the final.
The 44-year-old is making his return to the tour this season after not playing since early 2020 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He was happy with his performance and to lose by just two frames after O’Sullivan led 5-2.
“So far this year, I was satisfied with my own performance,” added Fu.
“In this match, I don’t know how I got [back] to 6-4. I thought the result would be 6-0 or 6-1. Ronnie was too good for me.
“I thought I played okay. We know each other very well. Ronnie's ability to score was too good for me.
“If you know snooker, you will know that the 114 break was very difficult because the black and pink balls were not on their spots. Only Ronnie could make such a break.”
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