 Niels Feijen |
On a day that saw the fivesome from the United States continue its
"inconsistent bordering on lackluster" play, Team Europe captured four
of five matches for the second consecutive day to earn an 9-6 lead
heading into the final day of the 2007 Mosconi Cup. The Euros will
enter Sunday's singles matches at the MGM Grand Hotel/Casino in Las
Vegas needing just two wins to capture the coveted team cup trophy for
just the third time in 14 years.
Since opening up a 4-1 lead after the first day, Team USA has dropped
eight of 10 matches. Starting Saturday's action tied 5-5, Team Europe
quickly snatched the first two matches of the day. Holland's Neils
Feijen and 24-year-old Russian Konstantin Stepanov easily dispatched
error-prone Johnny Archer and Corey Deuel, 6-2. Transplanted snooker
player Tony Drago of Malta then added to Deuel's personal misery with a
6-2 trashing.
Trailing 7-5 in the overall match score, Team USA earned a much-needed
point when Archer and 24-year-old Shane Van Boening, the hottest player
coming into the event, scored an emotional 6-3 win over Stepanov and
recently crowned WPA world champion Daryl Peach.
But the Euros quickly snapped their American counterparts back into
place, besting two of America's best in the day-ending singles matches.
Feijen stopped Rodney Morris, 6-4, and German Ralf Souquet dispatched
Earl Strickland 6-4 to send Team Europe happily off into the Las Vegas
evening.
