Hong Kong's Marco Fu lost his cue tip but held his nerve to level his World Snooker Championship semi-final against Mark Selby at 8-8 on Friday.
Hong Kong snooker player Marco Fu on Jan 11, 2015. (Photo: AFP/Leon Neal)
SHEFFIELD, United Kingdom: Hong Kong's Marco Fu lost his cue
tip but held his nerve to level his World Snooker Championship
semi-final against Mark Selby at 8-8 on Friday (Apr 29).
Fu had started the afternoon session trailing 5-3 but took
control against the world number one and was looking to move ahead in
the 15th frame when the bizarre cue incident happened.
While chalking his cue and glancing at the table mid-break,
Fu nudged the tip off and joined the Crucible crowd in shock as the
world number 14 realised what had happened.
Television analysts Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis were
equally surprised and suggested the incident could upset the
38-year-old's progress in the best-of-33 frames encounter as he chased a
first appearance in the final.
But, after an interlude for running repairs, Fu showed no
concerns with his amended equipment and closed out the frame with a
break of 81.
Selby, who had been short of his best throughout, won the last frame
to ensure they would resume on Saturday with nothing between them.Fu looked to have it won before he botched the final red, a mistake his rival then matched before a sloppy safety shot from Fu finally settled matters in Selby's favour.
He finished with a break of 81, his best of the day compared to a pair of centuries from Fu, who made 135 and 114.
The winner will face either China's Ding Junhui or Alan McManus of Scotland for the title on Sunday and Monday.
- AFP/ec
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