Neil Robertson reckons he must silence Ronnie O’Sullivan’s rowdy help 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.
Folks’s Champion O’Sullivan, going for a report 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 match two years in the past, and can draw on these recollections regardless of two huge 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 one of the best likelihood of success.
Robertson, who received the Masters 5 years in the past, stated: “It all the time looks like Australia towards England within the cricket once I play Ronnie.
“You definitely can really feel like you’re up towards the group enjoying him, particularly right here on the Masters on his house patch.
“And in case you are not prepared for it, then it will possibly get to gamers that type of help and affect them.
“It’s like in soccer should you go to Stamford Bridge or Outdated Trafford, you wish to preserve the group quiet early in order that they don’t have something to get enthusiastic about.
“If you happen to can put stress on him right away then he can miss a couple of and so they get annoyed.
“He’s the one participant the place the group can impact you, and that’s the reason it’s all the time a unbelievable environment whenever you play him. I can’t wait.
“Regardless of the latest defeats, three or 4 of the titles I’ve received I beat Ronnie alongside the way in which and I’m seeking to win as many huge titles as attainable now.
“We performed twice final 12 months, final season within the Welsh Open ultimate 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 type I’m in now, it could have been a special story.
“I used to be off my recreation and he took benefit, he can do this to anybody. And within the Welsh Open I used to be 5-2 up, might have been 6-2, and he received on a roll when he has laborious to cease.
“I misplaced the plot going out to China and that frustration boiled over within the subsequent few occasions. I wasn’t actually capable of put issues proper as there weren’t the gaps within the schedule.
“And we had a run of 4 weeks the place should you have been struggling you missed out on some title and cash, sadly that occurred to me.
“However I practised actually laborious over Christmas, and likewise over in Norway on Kurt Maflin’s desk there the place I used to be spending time with my household.”