Chris Melling (Photo courtesy of JP Parmentier)
If Mosconi Cup rookies Mike Dechaine and Chris Melling are nervous at their first times on the Mosconi Cup stage, neither of them are showing it.
The rookies faced off in the final match of the day with Melling able to enjoy knowing his team led the match 9-5. Turned out that the lack of pressure, as well as a couple helping hands from the pool gods, led to a one sided win for Melling.
Both players got things started with table runs and the scoreline read 1-1. The score was tied again at 2-2 after a safety battle in rack three and two missed balls in rack four.
That was when Melling turned his game up a notch. Melling ran a tough fifth rack and then got things started in his favor in rack six with an equally tough shot before running out the rack for a 4-2 lead.
The pool gods helped Melling out in rack seven when his bank attempt found a pocket after two rails instead of one, and he ran out to get to the hill at 5-2.
The deciding point in the final rack saw Dechaine leave a ball deep in the jaws, only to watch Melling kick the ball in length of the table to take control and run the rack for a 6-2 win that sees Team Europe on the hill at 10-5 at the Mosconi Cup.
