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 based mostly 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 document 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 yr.

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 probability 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 once I play Ronnie.

“You actually can really feel like you might be up towards the gang taking part in him, particularly right here on the Masters on his residence patch.

“And if you’re not prepared for it, then it could possibly get to gamers that sort of help and affect them.

“It’s like in soccer if you happen to go to Stamford Bridge or Previous Trafford, you want to maintain the gang quiet early so 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 number of they usually get annoyed.

“He’s the one participant the place the gang can affect you, and that’s the reason it’s all the time a unbelievable ambiance once 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 best way and I’m trying to win as many large titles as doable now.

“We performed twice final yr, 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 nicely.

“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 could have been a special 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 bought on a roll when he has arduous 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 if you happen to had been struggling you missed out on some title and cash, sadly that occurred to me.

“However I practised actually arduous 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.”