Ronnie O’Sullivan told his ‘fear factor has gone’ ahead of huge tournament

Ronnie O’Sullivan has struck fear into his opponents for over 30 years, but perhaps those days are finally at an end.

The Rocket is still among the world’s best at 50 years old, reaching two big ranking finals last season and producing some stunning moments.

Two 147s in the same match against Chris Wakelin in the semi-finals of the Saudi Arabia Masters and a world record break of 153 against Ryan Day at the World Open, were two more immense additions to O’Sullivan’s CV in the last campaign.

However, January 2024 was the last time O’Sullivan won a ranking event and March that year his last professional triumph of any sort.

The seven-time world champion began his latest season at the Shanghai Masters last week and fell at the quarter-final stage to Kyren Wilson.

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Those immense moments were still there, with a burst of three centuries on the spin, but he could not maintain that form or frighten Wilson into submission.

Commentator, podcaster and, most importantly, world number 75 Steven Hallworth feels a short spell of O’Sullivan magic used to get in the heads of his opponents, but it just doesn’t happen anymore.

‘I think he’s probably just lacking that edge now,’ Hallworth said on WST’s Snooker Club podcast. ‘That fear factor is gone, really, for Ronnie.

‘You look at that little spell against Kyren, three centuries in a row. I think gone are the years now of Ronnie doing that against somebody and the player just completely collapsing, wilting and just falling aside.

‘The players are used to seeing that. They’re seeing that day-in-day-out in practice and in qualifiers. It’s not uncommon now and the response comes, eventually, from the other guys. I just think that edge is lacking.’

Fellow commentator and author of Pots of Gold: A History of Snooker, Dave Hendon, sees a similar decline in O’Sullivan’s aura, but his game is still plenty good enough to lift trophies.

‘I wouldn’t rule out him winning more tournaments,’ he said on the Snooker Scene x Talking Snooker Special. ‘He’s certainly not done at the top level, he can produce these bursts of frames. I think what has changed, a bit of the aura has gone in terms of the fear factor.

‘It’s still an occasion playing him, but players are no longer beaten before they start. Even top players maybe 10 years ago, it felt like they were a few frames down before they started against him. I think that has changed.

‘But if he can find a high level for a sustained period then he can win any tournament. Last season John Higgins was getting to final, Mark Williams won a tournament, these guys are very special.’

O’Sullivan can still leave crumbling opponents in his wake, he did so at the World Championship in April when he hammered debutant He Guoqiang 10-2 in the opening round.

However, a 13-12 loss to John Higgins in the next round, from 9-4 ahead, showed a level of fragility that has seeped into his game, albeit against another legend of the sport.

He has the chance to get back to winning ways at the China Open, which starts on Saturday, with the Rocket getting his campaign underway against Jackson Page on Sunday at 12.30pm UK time.