Jayson Shaw – (Ed Mulholland/Matchroom)
Defending champions Team Europe seized an early lead on the opening day of the 2024 BetOnline Mosconi Cup, taking place from 30 November to 3 December at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida.
The tournament marks the 31st edition of the prestigious transatlantic showdown, with Team Europe and Team USA vying for ultimate glory in the finale of the 2024 World Nineball Tour. Fans across the globe can witness the drama unfold via Sky Sports in the UK, DAZN in the US and Brazil, and Viaplay in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Poland, and Iceland.
Overall Score after Day One: Team USA 2-3 Team Europe
- Match One: Team USA 1-5 Team Europe
- Match Two: Skyler Woodward & Billy Thorpe 2-5 Jayson Shaw & David Alcaide
- Match Three: Tyler Styer 5-3 Mickey Krause
- Match Four: Fedor Gorst & Shane Van Boening 2-5 Eklent Kaçi & Francisco Sanchez Ruiz
- Match Five: Skyler Woodward 5-2 Eklent Kaçi
The day kicked off in classic Mosconi Cup fashion with USA and Europe meeting in the first teams match. Europe’s captain Jayson Shaw set the tone early, outmanoeuvring Fedor Gorst with a crafty safety on the 2-ball to secure the opening rack. Francisco Sanchez Ruiz extended the lead in the second frame, maintaining control against Shane Van Boening. Though USA Captain Skyler Woodward responded with a break-and-run in the third, Eklent Kaçi’s clinical break-and-run in the fourth kept Europe ahead. Debutant Mickey Krause capitalised on a failed safety by Billy Thorpe to get Europe to the hill, before Shaw sealed the match with another precise safety against Gorst, securing Europe’s first point.
The second match saw captains Shaw and Woodward face off alongside teammates David Alcaide and Billy Thorpe. Despite Thorpe and Woodward showing flashes of brilliance, Europe capitalised on critical errors to race to a 5-2 victory. A highlight came in the seventh rack, where Shaw and Alcaide executed flawlessly under pressure to put Europe 2-0 ahead in the tournament.
In a highly anticipated singles match, Tyler Styer faced Mickey Krause, making his Mosconi Cup singles debut. Despite Krause showing promise, Styer capitalised on key mistakes, including a missed 2-ball in the sixth rack. With a composed carom shot in the final rack, Styer sealed a 5-3 win, giving USA their first point of the tournament.
The formidable European duo of Kaçi and Ruiz took on Gorst and Van Boening in a star-studded doubles clash. Europe surged ahead with a blend of safety play and break-and-run precision, reaching the hill at 4-1. Though the Americans rallied to close the gap, Kaçi and Ruiz delivered a flawless final rack to win 5-2, extending Europe’s lead.
In the final match of the day, Woodward faced Kaçi in a pivotal singles encounter. Kaçi started strong, claiming the first two racks, but Woodward roared back with a commanding four-rack streak to reach the hill. Exploiting Kaçi’s errors, Woodward capped off his performance with a break-and-run in the final rack, securing a 5-2 win and narrowing the overall deficit to 3-2 on the first day.
With a slender one-point lead, Team Europe enters Day Two poised to extend their advantage, while Team USA looks to build on their late momentum. Fans can expect more thrilling action as the battle for the 2024 Mosconi Cup glory intensifies.
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