Hong Kong (AFP) - Snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan beat home favourite Marco Fu 6-4 to win the Hong Kong Masters on Sunday in front of a record crowd of over 8,000.
The seven-time world champion held a comfortable early lead, only losing the second of the first five frames to Fu, ranked 100 in the world.
Cheered on by an energetic crowd, Fu brought the score to 4-2 with a 98 break, only to find O'Sullivan firing a century in response to take the next frame.
Fu fought from the brink of defeat to take the following two frames, but could not replicate the fairytale ending he conjured during Saturday’s semi-final against John Higgins.
The 44-year-old compiled a maximum 147 break against Higgins in the deciding frame to storm into the final.
But he was outclassed by O'Sullivan, who played a 114 break to clinch the win.
O'Sullivan said after the match the massive crowd size contributed to what was "probably the best tournament I've ever played in".
He praised Fu as the number one Hong Kong player ever, adding, "he is good enough to stand tall and compete at the highest level."
"To play Marco in front of the Hong Kong fans is like a dream."
Fu said he hoped the expectation-exceeding performance this week will further his career resurgence.
Sunday's match capped off Hong Kong's first major international sports events since the pandemic began as the city gradually loosens its strict Covid-19 restrictions to lure overseas visitors.
The city scrapped its unpopular hotel quarantine in time for the arrival of six of snooker's top players, but maintained a compulsory masking mandate for spectators.
Organisers said that Sunday's final, held in the cavernous Hong Kong Coliseum, set the record for the largest live snooker audience in history.
O'Sullivan, who lost to Neil Robertson in the last Hong Kong Masters in 2017, will this time take home the £100,000 ($111,00) first prize.
Fu, who reached career best at world no.5 in 2017, saw his rankings slide as he struggled to overcome an eye illness and a two-year career hiatus due to the pandemic.
But he was buoyed on Sunday by enthusiastic local supporters, one of whom, Kenneth Yeung, told AFP that Fu "represented Hong Kong to the world".
Snooker fan Liu, who came with his wife and daughter, said he began supporting Fu after his 2007 landmark win over O'Sullivan.
"(Fu) shows the importance of persistence, of not giving up...In this tournament he really outdid himself," he said.
