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THE "EARL-Y BIRD" CATCHES THE WORM
by Mike Panozzo

"Don't worry about the 'Earl-y bird!' " U.S. team member Michael Coltrain said, referring to captain Earl Strickland. "He's playing perfect right now."Coltrain prediction proved accurate, as Strickland added to his growing legend as the game's most deadly pressure player by trouncing European captain Ralf Souquet, 5-1, to give the U.S. a commanding 9-6 lead in the 2000 Mosconi Cup at York Hall in Bethnal Green, London. Europe had pulled to within 8-6 earlier when Brit 9-ball star Steve Knight knocked off Shannon Daulton, 5-3. The European squad pinned its hopes of entering the final day only one match down on the Mosconi Cup veteran. Instead, Souquet missed several opportunities to keep the match close, and Strickland rolled to a 4-0 lead en route to the easy win.

"I'm very disappointed," said Souquet. "I played without any plan, like I was at the practice table."Strickland, meanwhile, insisted that his plan all along was to match up against Souquet.

U.S. captain Earl Strickland continued his flawless play at the Mosconi Cup with a 5-1 trouncing of European captain Ralf Souquet Saturday night in London.

Photo by
Lawrence Lustig

"I haven't had much success against him here in past years," said Strickland. "And I haven't beaten him in a while. But I wasn't able to defend myself in recent years, because I wasn't playing well. Now I'm back and playing really well. We figured he would put himself up third tonight, and I told the guys I wanted him."

The team captains must post their line-ups before each session without knowledge of the opposing squad's order."I said I was back," Strickland continued.Strickland has been flawless in London, rolling effortlessly from rack to rack.

Daulton, meanwhile, had little such success against Knight. A scratch on the opening break, a missed shot in his next rack, and an empty break rendered the alternate-break format useless to the 28-year-old Kentuckian. Knight led 4-0 before Daulton mounted a mini comeback.

Action continues Sunday with three singles matches in the afternoon. The U.S. is three match victories away from securing its fifth straight Cup win in the event's seven-year history.

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