SHAUN MURPHY has revealed his theory as to why Ronnie O’Sullivan may have lost his fear factor.

The Rocket is a seven-time world snooker champion and the most famous man to take to the felt.

O’Sullivan, 50, was beaten by Murphy in the group stage of the Champion of Champions in Leicester yesterday.

The Harlow potter completed an astounding whitewash of O’Sullivan as he ran out a 4-0 winner.

Murphy’s highest break of the match was only 68, but it was enough to outdo a struggling O’Sullivan.

He still trails the Rocket in their head-to-head record by 5-15 since their first face-off in 2005.

But this season, O’Sullivan has struggled to hit his usual heights with the cue.

His best finish was a run to the semi-finals in the Wuhan Open when he was beaten 6-3 by eventual tournament winner Chang Bingyu.

Murphy believes that O’Sullivan may have lost some of his fear factor on the snooker circuit due to the influx of fresh talent.

He said: “I think if there’s any fear factor gone, I think it’s probably a generational thing.

“I think maybe for the younger kids who haven’t experienced the pain of what he can do to you, I think that might be the case.

“I think if you’ve not experienced that, if you’re one of the new young kids, you go: ‘Oh, there’s Ronnie O’Sullivan, that’s great, but come on, let’s get on for a match’.

“Players of my generation, and a few floating around since, have had some good hidings off Ronnie O’Sullivan over the years and you never forget a good hiding.

“Even in that match, you’re conscious that he’s missed a couple of balls over distance, but he could spark into life.

“It’s only while he adapts to the table and, as the other player, you’ve got to go: ‘Right, I’ve got a chance here while he’s not adapted to the playing conditions’.

“I need to strike while the iron’s hot.”