European Billiards Team Prevails at Mosconi Cup XIV

European Billiards Team Prevails at Mosconi Cup XIV

by InsidePOOL Staff
Going into Sunday’s matches at Mosconi Cup XIV, held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV, up 9-6 in the race to 11, Team Europe put together a thrilling 11-8 victory.
Sunday’s matches were all singles competitions, with the USA sending in heavy-hitting Shane Van Boening, while Team Europe decided on one of their two rookies, Konstantin Stepanov of Russia. A break and run by both players from the start brought the score to 1-all, but then errors began plaguing both until the score reached 4 apiece. A failed safety attempt by Stepanov put Van Boening on the hill, and “The South Dakota Kid” took advantage of an open shot on the 2 ball in the last rack to win 6-4.
Veteran Mosconi Cup teammate Johnny Archer faced off against Team Europe’s other rookie player, Tony Drago, in the second match. With the score tied at 2 apiece, Archer looked poised for a break and run-out but rattled the 9 ball to the dismay of the U.S. fans in the audience. Drago snatched that rack and then the next after Archer fouled on the 5. A foul break by Archer then put Drago on the hill, and Archer only put another game under his belt before Drago found a window on the 1 ball and ran out, winning 6-3 to put Team Europe on the hill.

Still in a feisty mood, Earl Strickland then appeared to play against Daryl Peach. The two traded racks until the score was 3-all, and then a long-rail bank on the 7 ball gave Strickland the advantage. A missed jump shot by Peach on the 5 ball handed Strickland the hill, and when Peach came up empty on his last break, Strickland was able to clear the table for a 6-3 win.

Crowd favorite Rodney Morris appeared for the fourth and final match, meeting another veteran, Ralf Souquet. Souquet took the first rack when Morris left him a very thin cut on the 5, but the Hawaiian scored the next three in a row after a miss by Souquet on the 2 ball, a break and run-out, and then a dry break by Souquet. Morris missed a relatively easy 4, and Souquet cleared to draw within a game, but Souquet got out of line on the 5 ball, and Morris moved up to an intimidating 4-2 lead.

Not for nothing, though, has Souquet played in eleven Mosconi Cups—he kept his cool remarkably well and didn’t give an inch. He capitalized on two failed safety attempts by “Rocket” to draw even, and then he took the hill when Morris scratched on the 4 and aligned the balls perfectly for a 4-9 combo. With the crowd screaming and Souquet expressionless, Souquet made three balls on the break in the final rack. His only shot was a 2-8-5 combo and then a 2-8 combo, both of which he made easily. He missed a long cut shot on the 3 ball but didn’t leave anything for Morris, who tried for a bank but left another long cut. This time Souquet played a crossbank into the opposite corner to immense cheers and moved into perfect position for the 6 ball uptable. Once he made the 6, he was perfect for the 9 ball, which he made to win the match 6-4. Team Europe defeated Team USA 11-8.

The last time Team Europe won the Mosconi Cup was in 2002, and before then it was 1995. This is only the third time they have won this event, and with the Mosconi Cup XV being held in England next year, they are eagerly awaiting their chance to defend their title.
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European Billiards Team Leads USA in Mosconi Cup XIV

European Billiards Team Leads USA in Mosconi Cup XIV

by InsidePOOL Staff

In a huge coup for the boys in blue at Saturday’s Mosconi Cup session, Team Europe won a dazzling four out of the five total matches played, stunning Team USA. From starting the day tied at 5 matches apiece, this now puts Europe in a 9-6 lead going into the final day Sunday and only needing two wins to reclaim the Mosconi Cup.

The first match of the day featured Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer and Corey Deuel against Niels Feijen and Konstantin Stepanov. The Americans looked jittery going to the table, with Deuel missing an easy 3 ball on his first shot. With some excellent play by the Europeans and a couple of mistakes by the U.S., Feijen and Stepanov were soon up 4-1. The U.S. put another game under its belt when Stepanov fouled on the break and they ran out, but it was the last rack they won in that set. A missed safety attempt by Deuel put Europe on the hill, and then a missed 5 ball by Archer gave them the first match 6-2.

Deuel stuck around to play Tony Drago in a singles match next, and the European fans quickly chimed in with their take-off of “Winter Wonderland,” singing, “Walking in a Drago wonderland!” Deuel took the first game before Drago went into overdrive, collecting the next four games in a row thanks to a break and run-out, a dry break by Deuel, and a couple of missed balls by Deuel as well. “The Prince of Pool” managed to knot the score at 4 apiece, but Drago countered with another break and run to reach the hill. Deuel scratched on his last break, and Drago asked for an extension, prompting a sarcastic gasp from the audience. Billed as one of the fastest players on the planet, it wasn’t long before Drago dished up for his 6-4 victory.

Another teams match followed, this time with Shane Van Boening and Johnny Archer versus Daryl Peach and Stepanov. Stepanov, the 24-year-old Russian rookie, has looked quite solid throughout but stumbled a bit in this match, coming up short on position a couple of times. Nevertheless, the entire match was filled with uncharacteristic missed by both sides. With the U.S. duo up 4-1, Stepanov took advantage of a miss by America’s new golden boy of pool, Van Boening, and ran out. In the next rack, Van Boening scratched on the break, and Stepanov was able to set up partner Peach for a 2-9 combo, bringing them within a game at 4-3 USA. This was as far as they got, though, for two hung 4 balls by Stepanov in the next two racks handed Van Boening and Archer a 6-3 win.

“Rocket” Rodney Morris experienced a misfire against Feijen in the second singles match of the day. He missed a careless 3 ball in the first rack and then was surprised when Feijen kicked in the 1 ball in the next rack to take a swift 2-0 lead. Feijen was up 4-1 when Morris came to and broke and ran out, but “The Terminator” was quick to answer in kind, making the score 5-2. Morris grabbed the next two racks, exciting screams from his American fans, but he fouled on his last break, and though Feijen had a tight cut on the 1 ball in the side, he had no other problems and won the match 6-4.

The team captains sent in the big guns in the fifth match of the day: Ralf Souquet and Earl Strickland. Strickland didn’t see much of the table in the first half of the match, though, for Souquet broke and ran out, played safe on the 1 ball in the next rack and then cleared the table when Strickland fouled, and then broke and ran out again for a 3-0 lead. A safety battle in the next rack earned Strickland a game, but when he scratched on a kick-safe attempt in the next, Souquet moved up to 4-1. A golden break yielded Strickland another point, and he got the next rack as well but scratched on his following break, and Souquet cleared to take the hill. Souquet badly missed the 2 ball then, however, and Strickland drew within a game at 5-4, but Strickland failed to hide the cue ball enough in the last rack. After a tough shot on the 2 ball was mastered, Souquet had no problems winning the final match of the day 6-4.
In a fit of unsportsmanlike behavior, after the match Strickland shook Souquet’s hand very hard, pushed it back at him, and called him an offensive name.

Team Europe now leads going into the final day of Mosconi Cup XIV 9-6 in the race to 11. It could potentially be a short session on Sunday. Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.

European Billiard Team Evens the Score at Mosconi Cup

European Billiard Team Evens the Score at Mosconi Cup

by InsidePOOL Staff
In a stunning change of the tides, Team Europe drew even with Team USA at Friday’s session of the Mosconi Cup XIV, winning four out of the five matches played. Now, with the score tied at 5 matches apiece, anything can happen in the next two days of play at the MGM Hotel Casino in Las Vegas.
Opening up the day was the duo of Earl Strickland and Shane Van Boening on Team USA versus reigning world champion Daryl Peach and Ralf “The Surgeon” Souquet. Three errors and a poor safety by Strickland led to an instant 4-0 lead for Europe. Another failed safety attempt by Strickland put Europe on the hill, and then he accidentally hooked Van Boening in the final game, handing Team Europe the rack and match 6-0.

“The Tornado” went up against “The Rocket” in the second match. Tony Drago looked weak against Rodney Morris at the beginning, with Morris taking an intimidating 5-1 lead. An ill-advised 6-7 combo by Morris that didn’t quite make it gave Drago a 6-9 combo that he pocketed for another game. In the following rack, Drago won the safety battle on the 2 ball and cleared the table. A break and run by Drago brought the score to 5-4, and then Morris scratched on his last break and Drago cleared that as well to make it hill-hill. One more break and run by Drago put another notch in Team Europe’s belt for the day, making the score 4-3 USA.

Mosconi veterans Johnny Archer and Corey Deuel met Niels Feijen and Konstantin Stepanov in the third match. This American match-up did not seem to be made in heaven, though, for a series of small mistakes on their part handed Team Europe a 5-0 lead in no time, with the fans for both sides getting increasingly more patriotic. Deuel managed to luck in the 1 ball off the 4 in the next rack and put a game on the wire, but Team Europe broke and ran the final rack to win the match 6-1 and tie the overall score at 4 matches apiece.

Another singles match came next in the form of Van Boening versus Drago. Perhaps Drago might have been considered the underdog here, but no one told him, because he came out firing on all cylinders. They split the first four racks, but then when Van Boening astonishingly missed the 8 ball, Drago took a 3-2 lead. Van Boening tried to play safe in the next game but overhit the 4, and Drago cleared up. A speedy break and run put Drago on the hill, and then Drago kicked out of a safety by Van Boening on the 5 ball and made it, going on to dish up for the 6-2 win. Team Europe took the lead 5-4 at this point.

With one match left, Team USA sent in the big guns—Strickland and Morris—while Team Europe opted for the pair of Souquet and Peach again. European and American fans were on the edge of their seat as the score seesawed to 4-all, chanting “Europe!” and “USA!” Morris missed the 2 ball, allowing Europe to reach the hill, but when Peach left the U.S. a shot on the 2 ball in the following rack, they were quick to capitalize, bringing it to double-hill. There was a quick ending when Team USA broke and ran out to win the match 6-5 and tie the overall score at 5 matches apiece.
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USA Billiard Team Leads Europe 4-1

USA Billiard Team Leads Europe 4-1

by InsidePOOL Staff

On the morning of December 16, Mosconi Cup XIV kicked off to resounding applause and riotous cheers from the audience, which was made up of a good mix of both Americans and Europeans. However, at the end of the first day’s session, the Americans had a lot more to cheer about.

There are some rule changes this year that should be marked. One is the trimming of the team size from six players to five. Another is the 9 ball is now racked on the spot. The breaking player must break from the break box, and three balls must go past the headstring or else it is a foul. All matches are a race to 6, alternating break.

In the first match of five total, Team USA went up against Team Europe. USA drew first blood and ran to a 3-1 lead and then a 4-2 lead, slowing down occasionally for dramatic safety battles. Europe grabbed the next rack, but after four consecutive misses on the 3 ball in the following game, “Rocket” Rodney Morris pocketed it and exclaimed, “Yay!” USA reached the hill on that rack, but a scratch on the break by rookie player Shane Van Boening, recent Reno Open champion, set up Europe for another game, making it 5-4 US. A controversial call by head referee Micaela Tabb didn’t affect the US in the last rack, and Team USA notched the first match 6-4.

Mosconi veterans Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer and Morris matched up against Ralf Souquet and Niels Feijen in the first doubles match of the day. Again the US took an early 3-1 but relinquished it, allowing Europe to tie at 4 apiece. A Morris foul gave Europe the hill, and then in the final rack, Souquet missed the 2 ball but got safe, prompting a “Good shot, Ralf!” from a European fan. Morris rattled the 3 ball, and Europe claimed the second match.

Reigning world 9-ball champion Daryl “The Dazzler” Peach found himself in a singles bout with Van Boening, who has won three major tournaments this year and came in runner-up at another. Peach looked ill at ease throughout, while Van Boening stayed true to form and glided around the table handily. Van Boening came up empty on his break, allowing Peach to bring the score to 3-2 in Van Boening’s favor. But two dry breaks by Peach and a break and run by Van Boening quickly awarded another match to Team USA, now leading 2-1.

Another doubles match came up next, this time between Corey “The Prince of Pool” Deuel and Earl Strickland for Team USA versus the two rookies on Team Europe—Tony Drago and Konstantin Stepanov. Again the Europeans looked as though they were having a difficult time gelling. Neck and neck at 4-3 US, Drago missed a key 7 ball off the 8, handing the US the hill. Europe rallied and put together two more wins to make it a double-hill match, Deuel scratched on his break. Drago, however, looked displeased with the leave from Stepanov on the 8 ball and hit it too hard, rattling it in the pocket. With only two balls left, Team USA easily cleared for the win.

In the final match, Morris represented Team USA, while Niels Feijen was his opponent. Unfortunately for Europe, however, it almost seemed as though Morris was barely aware Feijen was around, for he raced to a 5-0 lead, capitalizing on several crucial errors by the Dutchman. A foul by Morris in the next rack gave Feijen a bit of hope, and he cleared to put a game under his belt, but it was too little, too late, as Morris broke and ran the final rack.

Mosconi Cup XIV continues Friday with another round of five matches. The team who reaches 11 matches first will be the new champions and gain possession of the Mosconi Cup.
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America Starts with a Bang

America Starts with a Bang
The American billiards team clinched the first point of the 2007 PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup. The opening match was a team event where all players from both sides were involved and USA were celebrating with a 6-4 win.
They had won the lag but Archer produced a poor shot as he scratched off the break. Europe could not capitalise as Souquet missed the 8-ball trying to roll it down the right rail and it was 1-0 in this race to six.
A second mistake from Archer was this time punished in the next. He tried to swerve the cue ball round the 9-ball to hit the blue two but got in wrong as Europe, with ball-in-hand, made it 1-1.
With the alternate break format, USA were soon back in the action and broke and ran out the third rack with every American making a successful shot for a 2-1 lead.
Matchroom Sport had brought in new rules for this tournament to encourage attacking play as three balls must either be potted or pass the headstring off the break. If that does not happen then the other side would regain possession of the table.
Reigning World Champion Daryl Peach was first to fall foul of this as he sunk the 1-ball but did not secure the other two balls past the headstring. It proved costly as USA moved two ahead.
However, in the next Shane Van Boening made exactly the same mistake and Souquet brought Europe to within one again.
Niels Feijen produced one of the best shots of the match when he jumped the 9-ball to not only connect with the 2-ball, but to pot it as well. But the same player later misjudged a safety before Corey Deuel completed a 5-9 combination as the scoreboard now showed 4-2.
But Europe reduced the deficit to one with the critical error being a missed red 3 from Van Boening. The eighth was the worst rack of the match as Europe were displaying some opening day nerves as Drago, Stepanov and Souquet all missed shots they would normally be expected to make and Rodney Morris took USA to the hill.
For the second time, Van Boening slipped up on the break as he scratched and Europe won their fourth rack.
There was controversy in the ninth as Souquet fouled as no ball hit any rail after contact. European non-playing captain Johan Ruijsink was not happy but television replays showed Michaela Tabb had made the right decision. Corey Deuel downed the final 9-ball as America made a winning start.

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