About five years ago, Swedish Eurosport snooker commentator Kim Hartman predicted Marco Fu from Hong Kong would be a world champion within the next years. The prediction has yet to come true.

The first jaw-dropping event involving Fu happened in 1998 when he, as a 20-year-old, beat Ronnie O’Sullivan and Peter Ebdon in Grand Prix and reached the final. He also qualified for the World Championship that year. In 1999 he became WSA Young Player of the Year and WPBSA Newcomer of the Year.

He appeared in the top 16 for the 2000/01 season but dropped out just as quickly. The prediction about him becoming a world champion one day didn’t seem as convincing anymore.

Hope was born anew when he reached the quarter final of the 2003 World Championship and then three years later the semi-final. Fu seems to have an affinity for the Crucible. Every now and then he appears in the World Championship and does extremely well. In recent years he has also won the Grand Prix (in 2007) and was the runner-up in the 2008 UK Championship. He’s now back in the top 16.

Fu definitely has the potential of becoming a world champion but something seems to be missing. Ability to control his nerves perhaps? Who knows, if he can become a complete player and use his talent to the max, he might be lifting that trophy sooner than we think.