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2003 Hasseroder Premier Snooker League


Event Date May 10 - 11
Event Venue

Crowtree Leisure Centre, Sunderland

Marco Fu on his way to victory

25 year-old Marco Fu became the first ever overseas winner in the 17 year history of the Premier Snooker League as he produced a superb comeback to overturn World Champion and World No.1 Mark Williams in Sunderland.

Fu was trailing 5 - 3 after the first session of the best of 17 frame final but amazingly won six frames back to back to claim his first title since turning professional in 1997.

In addition it was the Hong Kong man's biggest ever payday as he took £45,000 for winning the title, £12,000 for his share of the 'frames scored' bonus fund and £6,000 for the high break prize - a 139 scored ironically, against Williams when they met back in January. All in, Fu will be banking a cheque for £63,000.

Williams came back in to the final session holding a two frame advantage following some superb play which included breaks of 57, 65, 99 and a magnificent total clearance of 138.

Fu, who had looked composed in his difficult semi-final win over Ronnie O'Sullivan opened the session brilliantly with the second century break of the final to reduce the deficit to one frame.

A run of 57 in the next was enough to put things on a level footing and another great clearance under pressure, this time of 71 was enough to put Marco in the lead for the third time in the match.

A missed long pink when on 32 by Fu looked to have given Williams an opportunity to stop the rot but the anticipated break didn't happen. Marco's 48 clearance, including a fluked final red, put him two frames ahead.

Marco Fu with the trophy

Following a re-rack in the 13th - the second of the match - Fu's break of 51 was enough to take a scrappy frame and put him within one of the finishing line.

Marco, who had looked rock solid all weekend completed a 66 break in what was to be the final frame of the match to take the Hasseroder Premier Snooker League title.

The man from Happy Valley was understandably ecstatic; "This is just different class because I've beaten the best players in the business to lift the trophy and, in the end, definitely the best player in the game this season,

"I'm so pleased and I'm sure this will do a lot for my confidence. I feel my form is coming together well. I just wish the season didn't have to finish here. The way I'm playing I don't want to stop just yet.

"For a week or so before the world championship I was practising with Stephen Hendry in Stirling and since I got knocked out at the Crucible I've been putting in three or four hours a day. All the hard work seems to have paid off.

"I expected to win a world ranking title within four years of turning professional. That hasn't happened for me yet - hopefully it will next season - but this is very prestigious in its own right and I'm sure the people back home will be delighted."

Williams, who took home £33,500 for his efforts, refused to accept that he had run out of steam only a week after hitting the heights by claiming his second Embassy world championship title at the Crucible.

"I just couldn't get into it tonight. I was too wound up going into the last session," insisted Williams. "But fair play to Marco, he played good and deserved to win."

SEMI-FINAL 1

Marco Fu made it through to his first final since the 1998 Grand Prix as he beat an out of sorts Ronnie O'Sullivan to follow up his fine win over the 'Rocket' at the World Snooker Championships.

Neither player managed to assert themselves prior to the interval with O'Sullivan's highest break being 63 and Fu's a meagre 34. They went into the mid-session break at two racks apiece - a fair reflection on the proceedings.

It was Fu though who found his groove the quickest when they returned as he posted a run of 67 to go into a 3 - 2 lead. A 57 in the next opened the gap to two frames, before O'Sullivan bounced back to take it to 4 - 3.

Fu took the next to put himself within one frame of victory, but the Rocket completed a superb clearance in the next to go 5 - 4.

However it was Marco who held his nerve in what was to be the last frame to clear from the final red to the blue to secure a spot in the final.

Commented Fu: "I was having trouble crossing the winning line so I feel very relieved. This tournament means a lot to me as it is broadcast all over the world and the folks at home get to see it as well.

"We both struggled a bit out there but I'm glad I carried on practising after the World Championships. It's going to feel like my first final as the last one was so long ago! It would be so nice to win this title because to do so I would have to beat the reigning World Champion."

SEMI-FINAL 2

World No.1 and reigning World Champion Mark Williams stayed on track for his fourth title of a lucrative season as he moved past Peter Ebdon in the first semi-final of the 2003 Hasseroder Premier Snooker League.

Williams who has picked up the UK, World and Masters titles this year, opened his account in a scrappy first frame as Ebdon conceded with two reds remaining.

Although Williams had not touched his cue since his heroics in Sheffield, he was focused enough to increase his lead in the second with a smart 80 clearance. Finding his stride in the third frame, Mark reeled off a fine 100 clearance to leave a seemingly uphill battle for the Wellingborough man. Ebdon, though, scrapped out the final frame before the interval to give himself a glimmer of hope.

Williams reasserted himself after the break, taking the brown, blue and pink to seal the fifth frame before Ebdon closed the deficit in a hard fought sixth. In a drawn out seventh game, a 56 break by the World Champion was enough to put him within a frame of the match and he sealed Ebdon's fate in the next to move through to the final.

"It was a tough game and I thought I played reasonably well, Williams said. "It got a bit scrappy at times but that's how it goes sometimes. I'd love to take this title to finish off what has been a fantastic season for me."

Ebdon, adds the losing semi-finalists prize of £12,500 to his frames scored bonus fund of £12,000 to give himself a Premier Snooker League pay day of £24,500.

RESULTS

Saturday May 10 - Semi-Finals

Ronnie O'Sullivan 4 - 6 Marco Fu

58 - 69 (38), 83 (34) - 25, 24 - 66 (33), 75 (63) - 8, 9 - 67 (67), 0 - 98 (41, 57), 72 (46) - 60 (53), 39 (39) - 80 (55), 67 (67) - 60 (60), 42 (30) - 61 (41)

Mark Williams 6 - 2 Peter Ebdon

73 (58) - 26, 80 (80) - 52 (52), 104 (100) - 32 (32), 23 - 82 (57), 74 (54) - 57, 49 - 57 (32), 71 (56) - 48, 59 - 32

Sunday May 11 - Final

Marco Fu 9 - 5 Mark Williams

83 (59) - 22, 44 (44) - 82 (33), 68 - 57 (57), 50 (43) - 65 (39), 0 - 138 (138), 69 (46) - 52 , 0 - 113 (99), 0 - 66 (65), 131 (103) - 0, 58 (57) - 33 (33), 85 (71) - 49 (36), 80 (32,48) - 30, 52 (51) - 11, 78 (66) - 0

FINAL MONEY LIST

Marco Fu: £63,000
Mark Williams: £33.500
Peter Ebdon: £28,000
Ronnie O'Sullivan: £24,500
John Higgins: £10,500
Jimmy White: £10,500
Steve Davis: £10,000


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