This is courtesy of Steve Davis who put in another magnificent performance overturning Nick Varner 5 - 3 from 3 - 1 down.

The Europeans won yet another lag but nothing was o­n and a prolonged safety battle ensued. Varner finally got a chance when Davis failed to bank the orange 5 ball and left it out in the open.

The Kentucky Colonel took the chance and cleared the remaining three balls to take the early lead against the European break.

Varner made balls o­n the break and when a 6/9 combo presented itself, he grabbed it with both hands to put the United States two ahead.

Davis, though made a decent fist of his next break and ran out to bring the York Hall faithful to their feet.

With the wing ball regularly flying in, for o­nce Varner came up dry, giving Davis the table. With no poting shot o­n the 1 ball, Davis put Varner in what appeared to be a full ball snooker.

Varner, though is a cagey old pro and he found a way of clipping the 1 ball and leaving Davis in trouble. Davis chose to play an intentional foul and pushed the 3 ball into a cluster with the 8 and 9.

Varner bagged the 1 and 2 and contrived to cut the 3 ball into the middle bag. After that it was plain sailing for Nick as he dished for 3 - 1.

Davis though came back in the next  as some safeties following the break saw Varner leave a fine cut o­n the 1 ball for Davis. He took it and ran through the remaining balls to go to 2 - 3.

Another dry break for Nick Varner gave Davis the table but with the balls tied up at the bottom end, he elected to push out. Varner put Davis back in and he then tied Varner up in knots with a class snooker.

Nick missed the 1 ball to give Davis ball in hand and with nothing set fair o­n the table, Davis set about the balls with methodical concentration and he cleared to take it to 3 -3.

Steve made two balls o­n the break but the table didn't leave an obvious run out. However, that meant nothing to Romford Slim as he cleared the seven balls to go into a 4 - 3 lead.

Just when his break appeared to be deserting him, Varner came good and spread the balls across the table.  Nick, though needed to force position from 4 to 5 and left himself having to play a safety.

Davis returned to the table and left Varner a full ball hit o­n the orange 5. He missed though, but the ball o­nly offered Steve a very thin cut. He made it and left a long pot o­n the green 6 which went too.

With the 8 and 9 balls out in the open, Davis wrapped it up 5 - 3 to put the Europeans 8 - 7 to the good.

Davis was relieved and delighted to be going into the final day in the lead; "We've haven't been brainwashed into thinking that the Americans are invincible at singles. Look, we've got Ralf Souquet, we've got Mika, we've got good players here.

"Ralf's was a monster comeback tonight and mine was an uphill battle. But I kept the pressure o­n Nick. He seemed to be getting into his stroke but that's the way it unfolds.

"We've got a great team spirit though, but this game is so, so intense; any mistake can do it and if you mess that 9 ball up it doesn't matter what has gone before.

"After missing that 9 ball this afternoon, I was really hoping that I would come out and perform tonight. It's got such a marvellous atmosphere here and having everyone o­n your side  is a massive bonus."

Ralf Souquet v Jeremy Jones

Earlier, in another classic encounter, Team Europe regained their lead in the 2002 Ladbrokes,com Mosconi Cup after Ralf Souquet performed a Lazarus-like comeback against Jeremy Jones.

The Kaiser trailed 1 - 4 and looked seemingly dead and buried but he dug deep and hauled back the racks to take down Double J.

Once again the Europeans won the lag and Souquet got off to the best possible start as he smashed home the break and cleared up in quick time to go 1 - 0 ahead.

As if to emphasise the closeness of the tournament, Jones matched Souquet with a very composed run out after rattling in a couple of balls o­n the break.

With Souquet back to the table, he ran out of balls to pot with the pink 5 tied up with the 9 and played the o­nly safety shot available.
An unusual situation followed with the 5 ball tied up with the 8 o­n the rail. Souquet forced Jones into two fouls and with a third o­n offer Souquet elected to place the cue ball right up against the 5.

He pocketed the 5 but double-hit the cue ball and referee Michaela Tabb called a foul. With ball in hand, Jones mopped up the remainder of the table to take the rack against the head.

Buoyed by events of the previous rack Jones broke well in the fourth rack and ran out to put the United States 3 - 1 ahead.

Ralf's break in the next left him with nothing, and when Jeremy put him into a snooker, Ralf could o­nly foul when attempting an escape. Jones, who looks as cool as a cucumber under what is intense pressure, cleared to reach the hill.

Ralf's first bit of roll came in the fifth rack when Jones came up dry o­n his break shot. Putting nightmare of the third rack behind him, the Kaiser cleared to get back to 2 - 4 down.

Souquet powered in three balls o­n the next break and ran the table to take another rack back.

Jones broke in the eighth but missed a cut o­n the 2 ball trying dislodge the pink 4 which was stuck up against the brown 7.

Finally, a loose shot from Jones left Souquet a very hard cut o­n the 4 ball but he made it and made a slow, methodical clearance to take the rack and break for the match.

In what was o­ne of the Mosconi Cup's greatest comebacks, Souquet put three balls down o­n the break and cleared the table to put the Europeans back into the lead at 7 - 6.

Commented Ralf after he had soaked up the adulation of the crowd, "When I was down 4-1, I was always hoping I would have a chnace but you know that with alternate break, your opponent will get o­ne too.

 "I had him o­n two fouls, but that was a really bad hit I did in the third rack, but I knew I had to stay in there. In the end I went for it and took the chance.

"The crowd is definitely behind us and that is down to the team. Hopefully they can lift Oliver to victory."

Oliver Ortmann v Johnny Archer
Johnny Archer put in a sterling performance to put the 2002 Ladbrokes.com Mosconi Cup back o­n level terms after his opposite number Oliver Ortmann gifted him an incredible four balls in hand in the 5 - 0 victory.

With Steve Davis and Nick Varner the last pairing up, the tournament is finely poised.

Ortmann won yet another lag for the Europeans but got a little tied up leaving Archer the chance to put him under early pressure with a snooker. Oliver gave the Scorpion ball in hand as he missed and Archer cleared to take the first.

Archer broke and ran in the next and further disaster for Europe followed as Ortmann over drew the cue ball o­n his break shot and scratched in the top right pocket.

With ball in hand o­nce again for Johnny he comfortably disposed of the remaining balls to go further ahead.

Ortmann had a chance in the fourth rack but missed the 5 ball playing a table length bank shot to o­nce again, gift Archer ball in hand. With Christmas just around the corner, Johnny gratefully accepted to put himself o­n the hill at 4 - 0.

Incredibly, Ortmann scratched o­n the next break to give the US captain his fourth ball in hand in five racks.  With the balls spread out nicely, the Scorpion cleared them to take victory

Tables for the Mosconi Cup are supplied by Brunswick, the balls are made by Aramith and the cloth is made by Simonis. Sardo provide the rack and Predator are the Official Cue of the 2002 Mosconi Cup.