Marco Fu recorded his first victory in eight months during qualifying for the Riga Masters and he is now hoping to build on that success in World Open qualifying this weekend.

The Hong Kong snooker star claimed a 4-1 victory over Elliot Slessor during qualifying for this month’s event in Latvia and he will now take on China’s Xiao Guodong in the first round of the competition on July 27. The victory was made extra special for Fu, as it was his first win on the world tour since undergoing eye surgery to correct retinal degeneration in December.

That operation meant the 40-year-old missed a large part of last season, although he did return to action at the World Championship in April, only to fall at the first hurdle to Lyu Haotian. Fu also saw his world ranking drop from a consolidated position inside the top 10 to number 18, but he is hoping he can put his struggles behind him after recording his victory over Slessor.

“First match of the season, first win of the season, first win after my eye operation eight months ago, not a bad day in office,” Fu posted on Twitter.

The three-time ranking event winner will now be looking to build on his victory over Slessor during qualifying for the World Open this weekend. Fu will take on Scotland’s Chris Totten during qualifying on Sunday and he is likely to face a tough test against the teenager, who claimed his place on the tour by winning the 2017 European Championships.