Souquet Holds His Nerve
RALF Souquet held his nerve under intense pressure to snatch another point for Europe.
The Kaiser had been 2-0 and 4-2 down against Johnny Archer but won the last three racks to clinch a 5-4 victory and put the European side back in front at 11-10.
Souquet said: "First of all I would like to thank the crowd. You're just great. Please give us more support because we need it to beat the Americans.
"You can't compare the Mosconi Cup to any other match. You're playing for your team, a country, the continent when you make a mistake it hurts two, three or four times as much.
"It's the greatest event and it's the only event you see as much emotion as you do here."
This was a must-win match for both sides and was a clash of the heavyweights as Ralf Souquet, the 2006 World Pool Championship runner-up, went up against American captain Johnny Archer.
Souquet won the lag but made the first mistake of the contest when he left the 2-ball hanging over the pocket and that was all Archer needed to steal the rack and take a crucial 1-0 lead.
Archer sunk both the 1 and 3 balls on the break and with a shot at the two was in control of the second rack for an early 2-0 lead.
The Kaiser needed something special and got it in the third rack as he made a golden break, the first one in the 21st match of the competition, to the delight of the passionate home supporters who started chanting Souquet's name.
Throughout this competition, the atmosphere generated by the Rotterdam crowd has been electric and they were certainly enjoying this thrilling concluding session of the Mosconi Cup.
Archer broke in the next and produced a fine 1-6 carom but then left a chance at the 1-ball, although Souquet missed the shot. However, Archer missed his opportunity and was played into trouble as the German laid a safety trap.
With the American having already used his one time extension that he is allowed in a rack, Archer had to run to get his jump cue to try to hit the 1 and, with the shot clock ticking down, he fouled to give Souquet ball in hand.
The German made it 2-2 after he cut the nine ball in after he had slightly overhit his effort going from the eight to the nine. A 4-9 combination in the fifth put Archer back in front and he then moved to the hill by taking the next rack to move 4-2 ahead.
Souquet kept the match alive by taking the seventh but would then be hoping for a mistake from Archer as he would be breaking in the next.
Archer's soft break technique saw him have a shot on the 1-ball and the match looked to be over. It could have been shortly afterwards but Archer missed a 2,4-9 combination.
There was more drama as Archer fouled and Souquet, with ball in hand, clinched the rack and would be breaking in the hill-hill match.
He sunk the 8-ball off the break and had a shot on the 1. The rest of the balls followed as Souquet showed the strength of character to remain calm under intense pressure and take Europe to a 11-10 lead.
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