Editing Marco Fu (section)

===First ranking tournament title (2004–2008)===
As a result of his run to the quarter-finals of the World Championship the previous season, Fu climbed to number 19 in the world rankings for the [[2003–04 snooker season|2003–04 season]].<ref name="r0304">{{Cite web |url=http://www.snooker.org/rnk/0304/ranking.asp |title=Embassy World Rankings 2003/2004 |access-date=8 September 2008 |publisher=WWW Snooker |archive-date=4 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404201317/http://www.snooker.org/Rnk/0304/ranking.asp |url-status=live}}</ref> He qualified for all the ranking tournaments except the World Championship. His best result included a third round loss to [[Michael Holt (snooker player)|Michael Holt]] in the [[2003 LG Cup (snooker)|LG Cup]] and reaching the semi-finals of the [[2004 Welsh Open (snooker)|Welsh Open]], beating [[Liu Song (snooker player)|Liu Song]], [[Matthew Stevens]], [[Ken Doherty]] and Stephen Hendry before succumbing to [[Steve Davis]].<ref name="lgcup2003">{{Cite web |url=http://www.snooker.org/trn/0304/lgcup2003_res.shtml |title=LG Cup 2003 |access-date=8 September 2008 |publisher=WWW Snooker |archive-date=28 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928161449/http://www.snooker.org/trn/0304/lgcup2003_res.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="welsh2004">{{Cite web |url=http://www.snooker.org/trn/0304/wo2004_res.shtml |title=Welsh Open 2004 |access-date=8 September 2008 |publisher=WWW Snooker |archive-date=18 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718204033/http://www.snooker.org/trn/0304/wo2004_res.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref> Fu finished the season ranked 16th in the world.<ref name="r0405">{{Cite web |url=http://www.snooker.org/rnk/0405/ranking.asp |title=Embassy World Rankings 2004/2005 |access-date=8 September 2008 |publisher=WWW Snooker |archive-date=4 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404201321/http://www.snooker.org/Rnk/0405/ranking.asp |url-status=live}}</ref>

His best result the [[2004–05 snooker season|following season]] was a quarter-final loss to [[Ding Junhui]] at the [[2005 China Open (snooker)|China Open]].<ref name="chn2005">{{Cite web |url=http://www.snooker.org/trn/0405/co2005_res.shtml |title=China Open 2005 |access-date=8 September 2008 |publisher=WWW Snooker}}</ref> He finished the season ranked 25, falling nine places.<ref name="r0506">{{Cite web |url=http://www.snooker.org/rnk/0506/ranking.asp |title=Embassy World Rankings 2005/2006 |access-date=8 September 2008 |publisher=WWW Snooker |archive-date=4 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404201325/http://www.snooker.org/Rnk/0506/ranking.asp |url-status=live}}</ref>  A series of first round defeats during the  [[2005–06 snooker season|2005–06 season]] saw him provisionally drop out of the top 32.<ref name="sl1"/> However, he had a good run at the [[2006 World Snooker Championship|2006 World Championship]], beating three seeded players—Alan McManus 10–3, [[Stephen Maguire]] 13–4, and Ken Doherty 13–10.<ref name="ques_Rock">{{Cite web |title=Rocket Finally Fires Up to Send Williams Crashing Out – Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales), April 27, 2006  |access-date=1 December 2020 |url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-145014464/rocket-finally-fires-up-to-send-williams-crashing |archive-date=4 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104215627/https://www.gale.com/databases/questia |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Rocket finally fires up to send Williams crashing out. |url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-145014464 |publisher=[[Western Mail (Wales)|Western Mail]] |access-date=6 April 2013 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=4 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104215702/https://www.gale.com/databases/questia |url-status=live }}</ref> He reached the semi-finals where he lost to the 2002 world champion Peter Ebdon 16–17.<ref>{{cite web |title=Snooker: Ebdon books final sport; Ex-champ edges in after thrilling Fu charge. |url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-145120742 |publisher=[[Sunday Mercury]] |access-date=6 April 2013 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=4 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104215635/https://www.gale.com/databases/questia |url-status=live }}</ref> In that match, Fu was 9–15 down with only one session left to play, but won seven out of the next eight frames to send the match into the deciding frame, which Ebdon eventually won.<ref name="sl1">{{Cite web |url=http://www.sportinglife.com/snooker/worldchampionships2007/profiles/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=snooker/07/04/09/manual_152142.html |title=World Snooker – Marco Fu |access-date=21 April 2007 |work=Sporting Life |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605015233/http://www.sportinglife.com/snooker/worldchampionships2007/profiles/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=snooker%2F07%2F04%2F09%2Fmanual_152142.html |archive-date=5 June 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> This run enabled him to stay in the world top 32 for next season, ranked 22.<ref>{{cite web |title=2005-6 Main Tour Two Year Rankings |url=http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/rankings/05-6twoyrrks.htm |publisher=Global Snooker Centre |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108170237/http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/rankings/05-6twoyrrks.htm |archive-date=8 January 2009}}</ref>

[[File:Marco Fu Grand Prix.jpg|200px|thumb|alt=Photograph of Marco Fu standing while holding the Grand Prix trophy|Marco Fu after winning the [[2007 Grand Prix (snooker)|2007 Grand Prix]]]]
In the [[2006–07 snooker season|2006–07 season]] he did not compete in the [[2006 UK Championship]] so he could attend the [[2006 Asian Games]], where he won two silver medals.<ref>{{cite web| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080912003119/http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/Results/2006-7/Internatiional_06-7/Asian-Games/2006_doha_asian_games_draws_snooker.htm|title=Asian Games 2006 results |archive-date = 12 September 2008|url=http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/Results/2006-7/Internatiional_06-7/Asian-Games/2006_doha_asian_games_draws_snooker.htm |website=Global Snooker Centre}}</ref> At the [[2007 World Snooker Championship]], Fu lost 3–10 to [[Anthony Hamilton (snooker player)|Anthony Hamilton]] in the first round.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/6580327.stm |title=BBC Sport Snooker: Hamilton eases past below-par Fu |website = BBC Sport |date=22 April 2007 |access-date=5 May 2008 |archive-date=29 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929104321/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/6580327.stm |url-status=live}}</ref> His best result during the season was a quarter-final run in the [[2007 China Open (snooker)|China Open]], where he lost to Ronnie O'Sullivan.<ref name="chnopen07">{{Cite web |url=http://www.snooker.org/Trn/0607/co2007_res.shtml |title=Honghe Industrial China Open 2007 |access-date=11 September 2008 |publisher=WWW Snooker |archive-date=12 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112212916/http://snooker.org/TRN/0607/co2007_res.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref> Following a first round loss at the [[2007 Shanghai Masters|Shanghai Masters]], and nine years after his first appearance in a ranking final at the 1998 Grand Prix, Fu won the [[2007 Grand Prix (snooker)|2007 Grand Prix]] —his first victory in a ranking event. After defeating the reigning world champion John Higgins in the first knock-out round 5–4, Liu Song 5–0 in the quarter-finals. and [[Gerard Greene]] 6–5 in the semi-finals, he faced Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final.<ref>{{cite web |title=2007 Royal London Watches Grand Prix Stage 2 |url=http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/Results/2007-8/07-8-Professional/2007-GrandPrix-stage2.htm |publisher=Global Snooker Centre |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130001945/http://globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/Results/2007-8/07-8-Professional/2007-GrandPrix-stage2.htm |archive-date=30 January 2009}}</ref> After falling 3–4 behind after the first session, he won 9–6, with a break of 76 in the final frame.<ref name="GP2007">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/7051931.stm |title=BBC Sport: Grand Prix final result |access-date=21 October 2007 |work=BBC Sport |date=21 October 2007 |location=London |archive-date=21 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071021033539/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/7051931.stm |url-status=live}}</ref> He later reached the quarter-finals of the [[2007 UK Championship]], losing to [[Mark Selby]] and the semi-finals of the [[2008 Masters (snooker)|2008 Masters]], losing to Stephen Lee.<ref name="news_BBCS">{{Cite news |title=BBC SPORT Other sport... Snooker Selby into semis after epic frame |work=news.bbc.co.uk |date=13 December 2007 |access-date=1 December 2020 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/7143544.stm |archive-date=15 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071215204112/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/7143544.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

He qualified for the [[2008 World Snooker Championship]], with a 10–3 win over Alan McManus.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/tournament_news(id19228)-96.htm |title=World Snooker News – 888.com World Snooker Championship Qualifying – Wonderful Wendo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310203158/http://www.worldsnooker.com/tournament_news%28id19228%29-96.htm |archive-date=10 March 2008}}</ref> He played Ding in the first round where he lost 9–10.<ref name="wc2008">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/7362031.stm |title=Ding edges Fu in dramatic finale |access-date=5 May 2008 |work=BBC Sport |date=22 April 2008 |location=London |archive-date=10 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110233552/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/7362031.stm |url-status=live}}</ref> He capped a successful season by finishing in career high 14th in the rankings, a climb of thirteen places from the previous season.<ref name="r0809">{{Cite web |url=http://www.snooker.org/Rnk/0809/ranking.asp |title=World Rankings 2008/2009 |access-date=11 September 2008 |publisher=WWW Snooker |archive-date=4 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404201411/http://www.snooker.org/Rnk/0809/ranking.asp |url-status=live}}</ref>