Team Europe completed Day Three of the 2008 Mosconi Cup at the Portomaso Conference Centre enjoying a four-point lead (9-5) over Team USA with the competition reaching a peak today when the remaining two sessions are played to determine a winner.
Holders Europe, who entered the day leading 5-3, now require two more wins from the remaining six matches - two doubles and four singles - to retain the title.
The opening session starts at 2 p.m. and play resumes at 8.30 p.m. if required.
This is the first time that the popular nine-ball tournament is being played in Malta, thanks also to the initiative of Snooker Promotions.
The rowdy atmosphere at the arena contrasts sharply with the eerie silence of snooker matches but the home crowd is loving every minute of the Mosconi Cup and a full-house is anticipated for the final two sessions today.
The afternoon started with Niels Feijen and Ralf Souquet thrashing Rodney Morris and Earl Strickland 5-1.
Dutchman Feijin and Souquet, of Germany, looked settled from the very first rack as the US pair rarely discussed any change in strategy when things started going badly for them.
In fact, Morris and Strickland sat stone-faced as the Europeans only gave away one rack, the fourth, following a good safety from Feijen that left little or no options for Morris.
After this match, it was the turn of Tony Drago as he took South Dakota's Shane van Boening in singles.
Drago took a quick 2-0 lead but the ice-cool Van Boening hit back admirably and chalked up America's fourth point overall after winning five successive rucks to leave Drago contemplating on what went wrong with his game after such an auspicious start.
"There's big pressure and this is a top event," Van Boening said.
"Tony Drago is playing in his home town with everyone rooting for him."
The next match of the afternoon programme, a doubles contest, saw Johnny Archer and Jeremy Jones throwing away a three-ruck lead.
They looked well on their way to steer the US to winning their first session at Portomaso when extending their 2-0 lead to 4-1.
However, pressure started creeping inside their game and Mika Immonen and Mark Gray profited fully to produce one of the greatest fightbacks ever in the history of the Mosconi Cup.
Their teamwork was excellent as Europe drew level on four-all. Jones was then forced into a difficult shot and Immonen went on to finish the job. Europe snatched victory from the jaws of defeat to open a 7-4 lead before the evening session got underway.
"That's one of the best comebacks in my Mosconi Cup history," Immonen said.
"The crowd really reminds you to keep the fighting spirit going. All credit to Mark, he is a rookie but got stuck in there and we were able to come back from 4-1 down."
American Rodney Morris broke his duck in the opening match of the night session after chalking up his first victory in the tournament, beating Feijen 5-3.
Feijen almost succeeded in an unlikely comeback after trailing 0-3 and 2-4 but Morris regained control when it mattered most to keep his team in the reckoning.
The second match saw Souquet involved in his first singles of the competition when he faced Van Boening.
The German won 5-2 but the turning point of the match came in the sixth rack with Souquet leading 3-2 and Van Boening on the table.
The American, who has a hearing impairment, failed to hear the shot clock beeper for the first time-foul of the competition. That proved crucial as Souquet had the ball in hand and quickly went on to make it 4-2.
Immonen, probably the most in-form cueist so far, then played Jones in a grudge match after the two got involved in an argument earlier in the day at the players' quarters.
Apparently, Jones did not like the way the Finn shook his hand and remonstrated with his European rival.
This match was tense but in the end Immonen prevailed to edge Team Europe closer to victory.