Ronnie O’Sullivan needs to change his approach to snooker to get back to winning ways as he no longer holds a fear factor, believes Neil Robertson.

The Thunder from Down Under was not singling out the Rocket in terms of a lack of aura, but saying that all top players have lost their fear factor in the modern game.

The amount of tournaments played and the array of talent down the rankings, especially emerging from China, means lower-ranked players are no longer fearful of the biggest stars.

Robertson reckons O’Sullivan was the last player still to make opponents quake in their smart shoes, but even he has lost that edge.

On top players losing a fear factor, Robertson told WST’s Snooker Club podcast: ‘Yeah 100 per cent, even for Ronnie now.

‘Ronnie was the last one that had that fear factor, where people couldn’t get over the line against him, but now they can.’

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O’Sullivan has always played an attacking, open game, although extremely capable in the safety side of snooker as well when needed.

Robertson reckons he will need to lean on his tactical nouse more now, having lost a psychological edge at the table.

The Rocket plays in the Champion of Champions on Wednesday having not won a match since August and the Aussie feels he needs to make a change.

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‘I think he has to change the way he’s playing, because he still looks great, he still looks as good as ever but he’s just playing so open,’ said the the 2010 world champion.

‘Especially the Chinese boys, they’re just knocking in these long reds and winning the frame. They’re not bothered, they’re not scared of missing and the opponent mopping up. The game has changed, it’s in a strange spot.’

Robertson did offer the other side of the coin of top players not being dominant, saying: ‘It’s good for the game because it makes it more exciting.’

O’Sullivan takes on Shaun Murphy in his Champion of Champions opener on Wednesday, with the winner playing either Wu Yize or Chang Bingyu later in the same day.

The Rocket lost in his opening games at the Northern Ireland Open last month and Shenzhen Open in September, with his last win coming over Mark Selby in the quarter-finals of the Wuhan Open in August.

He went on to lost 6-3 to Chang in the semi-finals in Wuhan and is looking to regain some form this week in Leicester ahead of the UK Championship in York later this month.