Marco Fu: I fear the damage mobile phones could do to my career

Smartphones are not so smart in Marco Fu’s world.

Fu has his eyes on the prize at this World Championship, but only because he has decided to listen to medical advice on caring for his vision.

Hong Kong’s leading player – a beaten semi-finalist at this event in 2006 and 2016 – has decided to limit the time he spends on his mobile phone fraternising with social media and watching movies to preserve his 19-year playing career.

The blue light from phones and laptops is medically proven to halt the production of the hormone melatonin, making it more difficult to fall and stay asleep.

For a snooker player requiring eagle-eyed vision, it can be a career-wrecker with reliable eyesight as important to elite professionals as their cues.

The Scottish Open champion Fu - who has also lifted the 2007 Grand Prix and the 2013 Australian Open - says easy access to the internet is not healthy.

“I really want to take care of my eyes. I was spending too much time looking at my phone, and it is not great for your eyes if you continue spending time looking at these things,” said Fu.

“I’m on social media, and I watch a movie sometimes on my phone, and then you go on and on. You can get access to stuff on the internet so easily. It affects your eyes and your sleep when you keep looking at a phone.

“It is okay maybe to relax a little bit. I’ve been speaking to a few people about my sleep, and I’ve been advised to cut down on using the phone to concentrate on my sleep."

Fu, 39, said he was prompted to pay more attention to his eyeballs than snooker balls after admitting messing about on his phone was interrupting his sleeping pattern.

“One or two hours before I go to bed is okay, but you really have to think about what you are doing," said the world number eight.

Fu starts out against Australia's Neil Robertson in the last 16 on Sunday over the best-of-25 frames after recovering from trailing 7-2 to complete an astonishing 10-9 win over Luca Brecel in the first round.

He believes his opponent from Melbourne has made a wise decision in avoiding video games after admitting his pleasure had become an addiction.

“Neil will have lost a year of his life spending time playing video games,” said Fu.

“It is okay if you spend a little bit of time, but when you are addicted to it becomes like any bad habit, smoking or worst case drugs.

“It is just the same. These things can control your life, and you lose your values in life.”