O’Sullivan has skipped the last two tournaments and looked a little rusty as he began his Players Championship campaign against Zhou on Tuesday night.
However, the 26-year-old could not capitalise, going into the interval level at 2-2 before losing the next four frames and the match 6-2 as the world number one improved.
There was a moment in the penultimate frame which will haunt the world number 21 as he missed the easiest of greens to allow O’Sullivan back in.
It was this moment which confirmed to Hendry that players are far too intimidated by the Rocket, believing it is even more of a problem for Chinese players.
‘There’s no doubt about it, a lot of the Chinese players give Ronnie far too much respect,’ Hendry told ITV. ‘This [missed green] is why I said he knows he’s playing someone who can’t beat him.
‘It’s all very well starting a match well, you’ve got to keep competing at the business end of the match and he just faltered, he just went away, Zhou Yuelong.
‘A lot of these Chinese players never stop telling you that Ronnie’s their hero, they’ve got to get that out of their mindset if they’re going to start challenging.
‘Ronnie does what he does, he goes through the gears, he improves as the match goes on and Zhou Yuelong got weaker.’
There is no doubt that the GOAT has an aura which makes it difficult for most opponents, with Mark Selby saying it is only the top players that are really unafraid to face him.
‘He’s created that aura himself with what he’s achieved in his career,’ Selby told Metro.co.uk.
‘Similar to Phil Taylor at the darts. He was the same. A lot of players had already lost before they’d stepped on the stage, I think that’s the same with Ronnie, apart from some of the top boys who play him don’t really fear him and believe they can win.’
O’Sullivan was not in a talkative mood after the victory over Zhou, saying: ‘I’m not going to comment on other players anymore, so I’m just pleased to be through.
‘I don’t assess my performances really, I make that the golden rule, just play. A bit of match practice. Take what I can from the tour and move on.’
The Rocket still has big tournaments to come this season, with the new invitational event in Saudi Arabia, the World Open, Tour Championship and World Championship to come, although says he is trying to play as few tour events as possible.
‘I’m just trying to get away with playing as little as I can, I’m happier doing that,’ he said. ‘Just treat it as a bit of match practice, take what I can from the tour and that’s it really.
‘I’ve come here trying to get some match practice, trying to take what I can out of it and make sure I’m sharp for when i’m doing my other bits and pieces.
‘This is all icing on the cake for me, whatever I get off this tour. I’ve got my exhibitions, my ambassadorial work, that’s my main thing and I just fit a few tournaments in around it.
On his plans for the rest of the season he said: ‘I’m contracted to play in certain tournaments and I will play in them because as ambassador they want me to play in them, so that’s fine, so I’ll definitely go to them and the rest is all up for grabs.’
In terms of his immediate future, O’Sullivan will play either Mark Selby or Barry Hawkins in the quarter-finals in Telford.
MORE : Mark Selby on dealing with the aura of Ronnie O’Sullivan: ‘I believe in myself’
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