Team Europe go into the final day of the 2012 Mosconi Cup needing two points to make it a hat-trick of titles. This comes courtesy of a fantastic third day of action for Europe, winning the session 4-1 to take a 9-6 lead over USA.
The night began with some extremely tight contests, the first of which saw Nick Ekonomopoulos and Nick Van Den Berg take on Mike Dechaine and Brandon Shuff. USA won the lag but could only push out on the opening break. Europe refused it and it was the right decision as Shuff left the two ball open, allowing Europe to claim that all important first rack.
After a dry break from Ekonomopoulos, Dechaine would miss an easy three before Shuff left the same ball after an attempted jump shot pot. Europe again took the rack to double their lead. But USA fought back with a break and run in the third rack, including a banked two ball from Dechaine, before Van Den Berg missed a bank of the three to allow USA to level it the score.
Another break and run would give the Americans the lead but a great pot on the one from Ekonomopoulos after Shuff had played safe, tied the game up at 3-3. Van Den Berg left the one open to put USA on the hill but a deciding rack would be needed after the Dutchman almost secured a golden break if it wasn't for a scratch. Dechaine then missed the six after some great potting to allow Europe to level once again. Dechaine then went onto miss the four in the final rack to give Europe the opening match of the night.
The second match of the night also went to a deciding rack but only Van Den Berg would know how he didn't close it out against Johnny Archer. After a missed pot, the Dutchman instantly broke the serve only to suffer an illegal break followed by a foul on the three in the second rack.
The break continued to hinder as Archer came up dry on the third. Van Den Berg added to his amazing jump shot yesterday with a cool four-eight-seven combination followed by a four-eight combination. The Dutchman would the miss then miss the one ball to allow Archer to once again break the serve.
There was a great safety battle in the fifth rack until Archer left the five ball open to make it five racks all against the serve. Van Den Berg finally held his serve after Archer missed the two ball to take a crucial 4-2 lead. But Archer wasn't done and after Van Den Berg scratched on the six, he too was able to hold serve for the first time in the match. A dry break from the Dutchman left Archer forcing a deciding leg before The Scorpion completed the comeback after Van Den Berg scratched the three ball. Levelling the overall score up at 6-6.
The final doubles match of the 2012 Mosconi Cup featured Ekonomopoulos and Neils Feijen against Dennis Hatch and Dechaine in another match that went the distance. A break and run from Europe was instantly cancelled out when Feijen fouled in the second rack after being snookered.
Dechaine was as shaky as in the opening match of the night and would miss the six ball whilst using the rest to gift the lead back to Europe. Hatch then missed the four ball to give Europe a two rack advantage and leaving USA in trouble. They were handed a lifeline when Ekonomopoulos scratched off a jump shot on the two.
But Hatch would miss the two ball in the sixth rack to allow Europe to regain their two rack advantage. Ekonomopoulos broke dry in the seventh and Feijen then scratched on the one ball from another snookered position to make it 4-3. A break and run from USA set up the deciding rack but they wouldn't make it back to the table as Europe clinched the match with a break and run of their own.
The third match of the night was the point where Europe took a two point lead in the Mosconi Cup for the first time this year. Chris Melling came up against Shuff and a dry break from the American instantly gave Melling the lead. But Melling missed the five in the second rack to allow Shuff to level the score before then making it 2-1 after Melling fouled on the four when Shuff had originally missed it yet gained a snooker from it.
Shuff missed the three ball in the fourth rack to allow a tied game before once again coming up dry. He then left the one ball open, giving Melling the rack in which the Englishman potted the seven and eight ball in opposite pockets within the same shot. The debutante missed a tough two ball in the sixth rack to put Melling on the hill before Melling found an unbelievable pot on the one ball from a snookered position to take the match 5-2.
On paper, the final match of the night between Darren Appleton and Shane Van Boening looked like it would bring another deciding rack and even a much needed point potentially for USA. But it didn't turn out that way as Appleton blew Van Boening away in the second whitewash of this year's competition.
Appleton was flawless on his break. He broke and run in the opening rack before Van Boening missed the seven in the second. Appleton played a carom off the seven and into the nine to make it 2-0. A second break and run added the third rack before an illegal break from Van Boening followed a missed two from a jump shot placed the Englishman on the hill. A third break and run from Appleton secured the match and put Europe in a fantastic position for tomorrow's final action.
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