Despite having “played awful,” Ronnie O’Sullivan has established a reputation as being invincible this season, according to competitor Neil Robertson.
Rival Neil Robertson asserts that despite winning his last three events, Ronnie O’Sullivan has played “pretty awful” this season.
After winning his ninth consecutive race, the record-tying UK Championship and the Masters, the Rocket also prevailed at the World Grand Prix.
Even though he has been winning 15 games straight since November, 48-year-old O’Sullivan has been critical of his performances.
O’Sullivan, according to Robertson, has occasionally played “pretty awful,” but he has such a strong aura that opponents find it challenging to overcome him.
“When you’re just coasting into the last 16 quarterfinals, you can get very comfortable and complacent,” Robertson said to WST.
‘We’ve probably seen that with Ronnie recently, let’s have it right he’s played pretty awful, but he’s been able to keep winning because people are missing blacks off the spot, pinks off the spot.
‘He’s gained that reputation of being unbeatable this season even though he’s played awful.
Robertson has been struggling for results this season, and feels that he has lost his dominant aura.
‘He’s even talked about it himself, he’s almost laughing about it, people just can’t put him away,’ Robertson said of O’Sullivan.
‘That has gone from me now, where people are putting me away if I’m not playing well, so I just have to play well.
‘I’m not focussed on if my opponents are playing the match of their life. If they’re playing the match of their life then I’ve done something wrong. I’m just really focussed about getting the best out of my performances.’
O’Sullivan is not playing in the German Masters this week as he withdrew from the event, but Robertson is involved in Berlin and into the third round, where he will meet either Joe Perry or Xing Zihao.
