Marco Fu returns to the Masters after a three-year absence, and he will face one of his heroes Steve Davis at Wembley Arena.
Hong Kong star looking forward to Masters return against Davis.
Marco Fu returns to the Masters after a three-year absence, and he will face one of his heroes Steve Davis at Wembley Arena.
Hong Kong potter Fu will face 50-year-old veteran Davis on Monday after being given a wild card into the biggest invitational event around, and Fu has nothing but praise for the former world champion.
Fu says Davis was one of the men who first attracted him to snooker, and says he always looks forward to games against 'The Nugget'.
"Steve and Jimmy White used to visit Hong Kong a lot in the 1980s to play tournaments," said current Grand Prix champion Fu.
"I always enjoyed watching them and Steve is certainly one of the reasons why I started to play the game.
"But I don't see myself still playing like he is at the age of 50. That's another 20 years away.
"However, I'm looking forward to playing him at Wembley. I'm sure most of the crowd will be on his side but I don't mind that."
Career slump
29-year-old Fu's last Masters appearance saw him beaten by Ding Junhui and sparked a tumble down the rankings and big loss of form.
Fu admits that falling out of the top 16 in the world and scratching around for form was the lowest point of his career.
"That year was probably the low point of my career," admitted Fu.
"I didn't qualify for the Crucible and along with dropping out of the top 16, it left me very disappointed with the way things were going.
"Technically, I was having a lot of problems. Back then I didn't have a coach and it was hard to figure out what I was doing wrong."
Fu hit the headlines back in 1998 by reaching the Grand Prix final, and it was the same tournament that capped his revival in 2007 as he went one better and won the Grand Prix title back in October against Ronnie O'Sullivan.
Davis test
Fu would love to really signal his return to form by a meaningful run in the Masters, but he knows he cannot take Davis for granted, who continues to pull out some decent displays despite his advancing years.
"I'm just pleased to have been given a wild card to make it back to the Masters," Fu added.
"Steve is still a great player and I know he wants to win every bit as much as I do."
