The Mosconi Cup returns this week with Las Vegas hosting the prestigious tournament. Johnny Archer, Shane Van Boening, Rodney Morris, Shawn Putnam and Mike Dechaine are representing Team USA. Ralf Souquet, Niels Feijen, Darren Appleton, Nick Van Den Berg and Chris Melling are representing Team Europe.
The opening match of the night saw the two teams battle it out with each player playing one rack at a time. The match was level at 2-2 with both veteran players, Johnny Archer and Ralf Souquet, winning their racks. Europe were able to take a 4-2 lead in a race to six racks, the first time a rack difference larger than one was achieved. Rack ten was between the debutants, Chris Melling and Mike Dechaine, Melling won the rack to win the match 6-3 giving Europe the first point of the tournament.
Chris Melling stayed at the table as he and Nick Van Den Berg took on Johnny Archer and Shawn Putnam. The match went with break until Archer scratched to allow Europe to take a 3-1 lead. But Van Den Berg made an illegal shot in the fifth rack which helped USA to go onto level the match at 3-3. Melling then forced Van Den Berg into a foul to let USA take the lead for the first time in the tournament. This gave the USA momentum to go onto win the match 6-3 and tie the score at 1-1.
The first singles match of the tournament saw Niels Feijen take on Rodney Morris. Morris missed a chip shot to allow Feijen to take the opening rack before taking a 2-0 lead. For some reason Morris couldn't come back and Feijen administered the first 6-0 whitewash of the tournament, Europe lead 2-1.
The penaultimate match of the night saw Shane Van Boening and Mike Dechaine take on Ralf Souquet and Darren Appleton. Souquet played a poor safety shot in the second rack and Dechaine made a 5-9 combination shot to lead 2-0, Dechaine then made four balls off the break to help extend the lead further. It got worse as Souquet scratched off the next break and USA took a 4-0 lead.Van Boening returned the favour with a scratch of his own off the break to allow Europe to pull a rack back. Appleton then made a great bank shot on the one ball in the sixth rack to make it 4-2. Dechaine missed the nine ball in the next rack, allowing Souquet to pull another rack back. Europe were able to draw level and were able to win 6-4 with the momentum in their court, Europe lead 3-1.
Shane Van Boening had to put his disappointment aside to play against Chris Melling in the final match of the session. Van Boening stormed into a 3-0 lead before Melling posted a score on the board. Melling was also then able to level the score and Van Boening was dry off the break in the seventh rack but he was able to get back to the table and regain his lead. He was able to take the lead but Van Boening took it to 5-5 but Melling won the final rack to give Europe a 4-1 lead on day one.
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