Europe prevail at Portomaso

Team Europe won the Mosconi Cup for the fourth time yesterday when they completed a comprehensive 11-5 victory over Team USA at the Hilton Portomaso Conference Hall in St Julian's.

The Europeans, who toppled the Americans 11-8 in Las Vegas last year, clinched the two points they required in the opening two matches of the afternoon session to retain the title for the first time in the competition's 15-year history.

The winning margin was the second biggest in the competition. The all-time score now stands at 10 ½-4 ½ for the Americans.

Before the opening match got underway, USA non-playing captain Nick Varner admitted his team had their backs against the wall but was still hopeful of victory.

The Americans had also received a boost in the shape of a surprise visit by the US Ambassador to Malta Molly Bordonaro.

She posed for pictures with both teams before joining the audience, along with her family.

Europe captain Alex Lely elected to send his big guns out first in an attempt to finish the job early.

Niels Feijen and Ralf Souquet had won all three of their doubles matches in the previous three days of competition and lined up first to face America's Rodney Morris and Jeremy Jones in the opening match.

The first four racks were shared but the Europeans then struck from the break to open a 4-2 lead. In the next rack, an expert slow pot from Germany's Souquet on the 3-ball set Europe on their way to victory.

"The captain picked us together right away and we're very compatible," Feijen said.

"If you keep giving each other easy shots then you have so much confidence."

Mika Immonen, who had a 100 per cent record in singles with three wins before yesterday, was then handed the chance to close the match for Team Europe when he faced Shane van Boening, the youngest player in the competition, with the score at 10-5.

Two years before, Immonen was distraught after missing a golden opportunity to win the Mosconi Cup for Europe. He was two balls away from glory but an error let in his opponent, Mike Davis, who later won that point. USA eventually tied the competition.

Immonen raced into a 4-1 lead but Van Boening delayed his rival's celebrations by emerging winner in the sixth and seventh racks to set up a tense finale. However, a superb shot from the Finn saw the cue ball draw back for the 8-ball and then the 9-ball.

Immonen had erased all his bad memories of the 2006 Mosconi Cup and Team Europe started partying.

Matchroom Sport's media director Luke Riches presented the trophy to the delighted Europeans.

Immonen was later named Most Valuable Player. Last year, the honour went to Malta's Tony Drago who was scheduled to play in the third match, a doubles, yesterday.

"It seems I'm burying a few ghosts," Immonen said.

"I won the US Open where I had a tragic final in 2001, then I won the Japan Open where I had lost in the final four times in ten years and won that. Then, my final and biggest goal was to win the Mosconi Cup.

"Finally, it has happened and I can't believe it. I'm really overwhelmed."

Despite the festive mood, Drago spared a thought for a friend of his who had passed away.

"First of all, a few weeks ago I lost a dear friend so this goes to him," he said.

"Secondly, I tried to play my best. I played a great match against Strickland but he beat me 5-4. Shane (Van Boening) did the same. I would like to thank Matchroom Sport for such a great event. The Americans are great players. We don't see eye-to-eye because that's what it means.

"I always wanted to lift the trophy in front of my mother."