Neil Robertson reckons he must silence Ronnie O’Sullivan’s rowdy assist early on Thursday afternoon of their Masters quarter-final.
The 34-year-old initially from Australia however now primarily based in Cambridge admits that clashes between the pair all the time have the texture of an Ashes-style rivalry.
Individuals’s Champion O’Sullivan, going for a file seventh title at Alexandra Palace, is assured of raucous and partisan backing in his personal London again yard.
However Robertson thrashed the Rocket 6-1 in the identical event two years in the past, and can draw on these recollections regardless of two large losses to O’Sullivan final 12 months.
And he’s sure that exerting an early stranglehold and stamping his authority on the match will quieten O’Sullivan’s followers and provides him the perfect likelihood of success.
Robertson, who gained the Masters 5 years in the past, stated: “It all the time looks like Australia towards England within the cricket after I play Ronnie.
“You definitely can really feel like you’re up towards the gang enjoying him, particularly right here on the Masters on his dwelling patch.
“And if you’re not prepared for it, then it will possibly get to gamers that type of assist and affect them.
“It’s like in soccer if you happen to go to Stamford Bridge or Previous Trafford, you wish to preserve the gang quiet early so that they don’t have something to get enthusiastic about.
“If you happen to can put strain on him right away then he can miss just a few they usually get pissed off.
“He’s the one participant the place the gang can impact you, and that’s the reason it’s all the time a implausible ambiance while you play him. I can’t wait.
“Regardless of the current defeats, three or 4 of the titles I’ve gained I beat Ronnie alongside the way in which and I’m trying to win as many large titles as doable now.
“We performed twice final 12 months, final season within the Welsh Open last which I let slip a bit actually, after which this season on the European Masters in Romania when he performed fantastically effectively.
“He was virtually unpayable that day, however I really feel as if I had gone into that match within the kind I’m in now, it will have been a distinct story.
“I used to be off my sport and he took benefit, he can do this to anybody. And within the Welsh Open I used to be 5-2 up, may have been 6-2, and he obtained on a roll when he has exhausting to cease.
“I misplaced the plot going out to China and that frustration boiled over within the subsequent few occasions. I wasn’t actually in a position to put issues proper as there weren’t the gaps within the schedule.
“And we had a run of 4 weeks the place if you happen to had been struggling you missed out on some title and cash, sadly that occurred to me.
“However I practised actually exhausting over Christmas, and in addition over in Norway on Kurt Maflin’s desk there the place I used to be spending time with my household.”
