Team USA leave the York Hall in Bethnal Green for the first time his week with a narrow advantage over Team Europe. With five matches played tonight, there was always going to be someone behind at the end of proceedings and it is Europe who trail 3-2.
The opening match of the night saw all ten players take to the table in the annual team match. Dennis Hatch cleared the table from the four ball after Neils Feijen left it open to gain the first rack in a race to five. The second rack saw some great defensive play before the veteran Johnny Archer left the two ball open, allowing Darren Appleton to clear and level the match.
Nick Van Den Berg would hand the control of the third rack to Mike Dechaine after an illegal break. Dechaine cleared up to the nine ball before missing the crucial shot, leaving the Dutchman to put Europe 2-1 ahead. Chris Melling would scratch in the fourth rack, allowing Shane Van Boening to clear from the two ball and level the game up once more.
Debutante Nick Ekonomopoulos had the opportunity to make it 3-2 after he potted a fantastic three ball from a snookered position. But he elected to cut the eight ball instead of going for the easier bank, missing it for fellow debutante Brandon Shuff to give USA the lead again. Feijen gained revenge over Hatch by clearing from the four ball after a great swerving shot around the seven to make it 3-3, proving how close this year's competition is going to be.
There was another defensive battle between Appleton and Archer but this time Archer was able to clear from the two ball to put USA on the hill. The hill then became the first point of the contest as Dechaine broke and won the match with a six-nine combination shot.
The second match of the night saw Melling and Van Den Berg surrender a 4-1 lead against Archer and Shuff. USA took the lead with the first break and run of the night. This was followed by a dry break from Van Den Berg and a push out from Archer. However Archer's second attempt at the snooker failed and Europe were able to clear and level the match.
A Shuff foul in the third rack allowed Melling to post a two-nine combination to make it 2-1. Shuff then missed the five ball following a dry Melling break before the debutante hit an illegal break to allow another clearance, making it 4-1.
After another illegal break, this time from Van Den Berg, the Dutchman played a brilliant jump shot, potting the one and the eight ball at the opposite end of the table after Shuff had initially missed the one ball. But Melling went onto miss the four ball and USA pulled one rack back. USA followed that up with a break and run before Van Den Berg missed an unnecessary five-nine combination, leaving Archer with a bank shot on the eight before levelling the match. There's no better way to secure a point than a break and run and that is exactly what USA did to make it 2-0.
The third match of the night had Feijen secure the first whitewash of the contest over Dechaine. Dechaine scratched in the first rack before missing a two ball that Feijen potted with a jump shot before going onto clear and make it 2-0. That was followed by a silky break and run as Dechaine went onto miss the two ball again in the fourth rack which led up to Feijen potting a seven-nine combination. The whitewash was sealed after Dechaine missed a five-eight combination, allowing Feijen to once again clear up.
The fourth match saw USA restore their two point advantage and guarantee their victory in the first session. Appleton and Ekonomopoulos met Hatch and Van Boening in another game that went the distance. Ekonomopoulos fluked the four in the first rack which later saw Hatch scratch to allow Europe to take the lead. Hatch then hit an illegal break which gifted Europe a two leg advantage.
It should have been 3-0 when Appleton attempted a three-nine combination that saw the nine teeter on the brink of the pocket. That was followed by a scratch from Ekonomopoulos which meant USA could pull a rack back. A break and run gave USA the equaliser before taking the lead after Ekonomopoulos scratched after banking the five.
Two break and runs later, the score sat at 4-3 to USA before Van Den Berg married the cue ball to the nine, making Hatch miss the difficult seven. This forced a deciding rack which saw Appleton scratch off the break, leaving USA with a one to nine clearance.
Appleton stayed on to play the final match of the night against Shuff. The debutante took the lead after he potted the five from an attempted safety by the Englishman. A break and run levelled the match before Shuff followed through on a pot on the three in which he went cushion first.
Another break and run made it 3-1 before Appleton posted a fourth. The Pontefract man would leave the five ball on in the sixth rack which allowed Shuff to pull one rack back. But any hopes of a comeback were dashed when Shuff came up dry on the break, allowing Appleton to clear and keep Europe within hugging distance.
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