Europe recovered from yesterday's disappointment by levelling the scores at 5-5 after day two, although it was actually USA who levelled the match up at the end. Wins at the start and the end of the session was enough for USA to keep as close as possible to Europe, setting up a crucial third day of Mosconi Cup action.
The opening match saw the British duo, Chris Melling and Darren Appleton take on Johnny Archer and Mike Dechaine. After two break and runs, Johnny Archer came up dry on his break, leaving Europe to clear and take a 2-1 lead. Melling would leave the three ball open before Appleton left the two ball, giving USA the next two racks to overturn the deficit. Appleton then suffered an illegal break before Melling went onto foul on the six ball following a snooker, putting USA onto the hill. USA had the chance to take the match in the next rack but Dechaine would snooker Archer and The Scorpion would miss the pot on the two from a jump shot. The Englishmen cleared before a break and run would set up another deciding rack. Archer and Melling both missed their shots on the one ball before Dechaine won the match with a six-nine combination.
Nick Ekonomopoulos came of age, in Mosconi Cup terms, in the second match, seeing off Shane Van Boening. Van Boening did have an early lead when Ekonomopoulos missed a safety shot on the two ball before the American broke and ran with a banked eight ball to make it 2-0. A break and run from the Greek allowed him to post a rack on the board but a missed five ball allowed Van Boening to re-establish his two rack lead.
Ekonomopoulos elected to push out in the fifth rack and Van Boening left the two ball open from it. The Greek fantastically banked the two ball before taking the rack with a five-nine combination. It was a similar story in the following rack; Van Boening elected to push out but this time Ekonomopoulos refused it and the American ended up leaving the two open again for the Greek to clear up and level the match at 3-3.
Ekonomopoulos continued his momentum with a timely break and run before playing Van Boening into trouble with a snooker. Van Boening ended up scratching and the Greek wasted no time in clearing up and winning the match 5-3, making it 4-3 to USA overall.
The Dutch duo would level the scores as Nick Van Den Berg and Niels Feijen overcame Dennis Hatch and Brandon Shuff. Van Den Berg would pot the six ball from a snookered position which led to Europe claiming the first rack. Feijen followed that up with a long pot on the four after a defensive battle in the second rack to make it 2-0.
It could have been 3-0 when Shuff left the two ball clear. But Feijen would end up scratching on the three ball and the Americans were able to post a rack. Shuff would then suffer an illegal break in the fourth rack. But the highlight of the match saw Van Den Berg use a rest to aid his jump cue, allowing him to pot the five with a sublime jumping effort, giving them a 3-1 lead.
Hatch left the three ball open in the fifth rack and the Dutch destroyers once again cleared up, the highlight being a four-eight combination from Feijen. Two break and runs saw the score finish 5-2 and Europe were now tied with USA.
Team Europe would then take the lead for the first time in this year's Mosconi Cup as Hatch suffered a second defeat in two games, this time to Melling. The Englishman missed a four-nine combination to sacrifice the opening rack before Hatch broke dry in the second to allow Melling to level it up.
Melling looked to have control of the third rack when Hatch jumped the cue ball off the table. But Melling would leave the four ball open after a defensive battle and Hatch retook the lead. A second dry break once again allowed Melling to level the score. The Englishman looked to repay the compliment with a dry break of his own, but Hatch left the five ball open to give Melling the lead for the first time.
Melling missed a jump four-eight combination which surrendered the seventh leg. But Hatch presented the match to Melling after scratching on the two ball, losing the match 5-3.
The final match of the night saw Archer and Van Boening level the Mosconi Cup with a tight victory over Appleton and Feijen. Feijen won the opening rack with a one-nine shot that saw both balls potted in opposite pockets. That was followed by a break and run to make it 2-0.
Feijen then left the four ball open to allow USA to pull one back before the Dutchman did it again in the following rack after a superb safety battle, making the scores level. A break and run followed by a Feijen dry break meant USA had a comfortable 4-2 lead and were breaking for the match.
But Archer also suffered from a dry break before Van Boening left the one ball, giving Europe a rack back. A break and run from Europe set up a deciding rack, but USA responded with a break and run of their own to take the match and set up a tantalising third day.
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