Europe End Day Three In Control at Mosconi Cup

Europe End Day Three In Control at Mosconi CupNick Van Den Berg handed the European billiards team a 9-6 lead at the end of Day Three of the 2006 PartyPoker.com Mosconi Cup.The Dutchman thrilled the home crowd by securing a 7-4 singles victory against American Mike Davis at the Cruise Terminal, Rotterdam.Discuss the PartyPoker.com Mosconi Cup
Van den Berg insisted his side still had a lot of work to do to win the competition. He said: "I tried to stay calm and focus on my game and not think about the crowd. They’re supporting us well, all of the team. We’ll sleep well tonight but we’re not there yet."Van den Berg made a positive start and edged 2-1 ahead before Davis fought back to take the fourth to leave it tied at 2-2.A composed van den Berg regained the lead in the fifth rack as he cleared from the break, never looking in trouble. Davis pocketed two balls off his break shot but had no pot on the 2 ball which was stuck to the bottom rail. A poor safety failed to obscure the cue ball and the Dutchman took on the pot down table.He missed the pot but got lucky as the cueball was hidden behind the 9. Davis escaped but left it on for van den Berg who cleared the table to steal the rack and take his lead to 4-2.Van den Berg took the next with his break but both players had chances. In the end it was the Dutchman who prevailed in the safety battle on the 5 ball and from there he wrapped it up to increase his lead.In the next Davis made an unforced error as he missed the 3 ball off the rail. Van den Berg took it on and made it but left himself a tough one on the 5 ball with hampered cueing. He missed it and left it hanging for Davis. The big American completed the run out to get the score to 5-3 in the European’s favour.Van den Berg was forced to push out in the next and Davis took the table to leave him hooked. The Dutchman made a mess of the escape to give Davis a real chance to take the rack against the break.Davis lost position slightly going from the 2 to the 3 and had to force the cueball to gain position. When the white drifted into the centre pocket, it gave van den Berg a golden opportunity. With ball in hand he gratefully accepted it to increase his lead to 6-3 and put him on the hill.The American elected to push out in the next and van den Berg left him in a snooker. Davis escaped but left a cut on for van den Berg. He made it but snookered himself and his escape shot fouled and with ball in hand, Davis dished up to reduce the arrears. Van den Berg kicked out of a safety and left Davis with a full ball snooker.He too elected to kick and made the 1 ball into the corner pocket. He missed a long pot on the 2 ball though to give van den Berg a great chance. He ran through the table but left himself a horrible position on the 9 but he redeemed the situation with a brave pot to take the match 7-4 and increase the European lead to 9-6.

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