Studio Ballroom
MGM Grand
3799 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas
Nevada
USA
(702) 891-1111
www.mosconicup.com
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Thursday-Sunday 13-16 December 2007
Ralph Souquet and Daryl Peach discuss options while Earl Strickland waits his turn.
Photograph by Lawrence Lustig
USA 5 – 5 Europe
In a sensational turnaround of events, Europe closed out day two of the 2007 PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup all square with Team USA as they won four out of the five matches to turn a 4-1 deficit into a 5-all tie.
Europe trailed 1-4 after the first day’s play but the star of the show was Malta’s Tony Drago who won two singles matches to put his side right back into contention at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas.
Team captain Johan Ruijsink had a lot to think about after Thursday’s disaster but his strategy paid dividends as he left the burly Malteser out of the doubles matches to concentrate on singles play.
"Read More..." for the details.
Europe got off to the best possible start as the look-a-like duo of World Champion Daryl Peach and Europe’s most successful ever Mosconi Cup player, Ralf Souquet won the opener.
US Open winner Shane Van Boening in action.
Photograph by Lawrence Lustig
6-0 was the scoreline as Peach and Souquet waltzed past Earl Strickland and Shane Van Boening in the tournament’s first whitewash.
It was a real confidence booster for Team Europe and there was more in the next as Tony Drago, making his Mosconi Cup debut, came from 5-1 down to pip Rodney Morris 6-5.
Tony Drago gets his first Mosconi Cup match victory under his belt.
Photograph by Lawrence Lustig
Drago, 42, started where he left off yesterday, as his carelessness allowed the Hawaiian to get to the hill at 5-1. However, Drago mounted a telling comeback, egged on by the noisy European contingent in the crowd.
The pressure told on the American as Drago closed the match with a couple of double-quick run-outs. It was a critical moment as the momentum seemed to switch in the European’s favour.
Stepanov and Feijen celebrate another win for Europe.
Photograph by Lawrence Lustig
That momentum continued in the next match as Niels Feijen and Konstantin Stepanov did a job on the experienced American pair of Johnny Archer and Corey Deuel.
Stepanov looked a different player from the one who struggled yesterday and Feijen backed him every step of the way. The 6-1 result was a fair reflection and it took the overall score to 4-4.
Ruijsink’s bold ploy of playing Drago in two singles games reaped dividends as he completed a wonderful day for himself with a 6-2 victory over Shane Van Boening.
The Maltese player didn’t hang about as he cashed in on some Van Boening errors to speed through the racks.
Tony Drago celebrates his win.
Photograph by Lawrence Lustig
It was a performance that did away with the doubters claims that he did not have the temperament for the most pressurized situation in pool.
"If I play like that should I worry about anyone?" asked Drago after the match.
"Shane is a great player, more of a 9-ball player than me but when I get into my rhythm I'm hard to stop.
"It's been a fantastic day and the worst we can go is 5-5.”
In the final match of the session, the US pair of Rodney Morris and Earl Strickland stopped the rot, winning a hill-hill thriller against Souquet and Peach.
The Europeans lead every step of the way until the final rack where, at last, Strickland delivered the perfect break and from there, the Americans ran out to steel the point.
The win left the PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup finely poised at the half way with everything to play for as matches continue tomorrow at 11am local time.
Strickland / Van Boening 0 – 6 Peach / Souquet
Rodney Morris 5 – 6 Tony Drago
Deuel / Archer 1 – 6 Stepanov / Feijen
Shane Van Boening 2 – 6 Tony Drago
Morris / Strickland 6 – 5 Peach / Souquet
