MARCO Fu denied Neil Robertson a fairytale win at the Australian Snooker Goldfields Open last night.
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The Hong Kong star fought back from 2-1 down in the final to lift the trophy with an epic 9-6 victory at Bendigo Stadium.
It was sweet reward for the world number 18, who fell at the semi-final hurdle last year in Bendigo.
Fu clinched the match with a dominant final frame, scoring the only century break of the match, a 102, to receive a standing ovation from the capacity crowd.
“Neil made it very tough for me, so I was very pleased that I made that clearance,” Fu said post-match
“There were so many frames that could have gone either way, there was so much drama, it was unbelievable.”
In a match of many twists and turns, Fu was the more consistent player – as he had been all week.
Fu only lost nine frames in his four games leading into last night’s match.
It was a case of missed opportunities for world number one Robertson, the only Australian to contest the rich classic.
Between frames four to 10, Robertson went from 2-1 ahead to 4-6 behind.
In those five frames last night, Robertson suffered either bad luck or saw several pottable balls bobble out of a pocket.
Robertson fought back from 4-6 down to trail 6-7 after winning a 13th frame that swung both ways.
But Fu settled in the next frame, with breaks of 36 and 21 sealing a 76-46 win and putting him just one frame away from victory.
For Melbourne ace Robertson, who battled illness to reach the final it was a bitter-sweet moment.
“Especially Saturday and Sunday, if you told me I’d have got to the final I’d have snapped your hand off,” Robertson said.
“It was one match too far I think. I didn’t really get myself going today.
“You have to give Marco a lot of credit for the way he played, his safety game was brilliant.”
Fu joins Stuart Bingham and Barry Hawkins as Goldfields Open champions.