“I want to have a Luke Littler of Nine Ball pool.”
Those were Barry Hearn’s words as he took in night two of the Sportsbet.io Mosconi Cup yesterday evening.
And, if yesterday’s crowd is anything to go by, he might soon have his wish.
Billed as ‘sport’s biggest party’, the event has certainly lived up to that billing so far.
Think of it as being like darts, but without the inane ‘Toure’ and ‘tables’ chants.
Or wrestling, but with balls and cues.
Fancy dress costumes, from Ratatouille regalia to elf outfits, could be seen everywhere you looked.
Flags from Scotland, the US, Spain, Lithuania and others created a scene reminiscent of a mini–United Nations.
T-shirts were handed out to the loudest fans, and competitions including an MC challenge were held.
Even a toy snake could be seen in the crowd, apparently a reference to world No 1 and Russia-born Team America participant Fedor Grost.
For a proud Hearn, such an atmosphere is the result of decades of hard work to establish ‘the Ryder Cup of pool’ in the UK.
He said: “It’s gone from strength to strength, it started in tenpin bowling allies in Romford and Basildon Festival Hall, and now it’s a global event.
“It’s got that magic of US versus Europe.”
Of course, none of the panache and pizzazz in the stands would exist without on-table drama, and last night, there was plenty of it.
From Gorst’s rare golden break against Joshua Filler, to Tyler Styer missing a double on the nine to seal the US’s first point in night two’s opening match, such moments are the hook that keeps the thousands who packed into Ally Pally coming back.
But even amongst such chaos, one man in particular – Filler – stood out.
‘The Killer’ sensationally downed former world champion Gorst 5-3, and could scarcely contain his excitement in his post-match interview.
He said: “Happy to get the win against Fedor – he’s a phenomenal player, so I’m proud of that result.”
The German was also keen to praise the crowd, who belted out chants of ‘Oh, Joshua Filler’ to the tune of the White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army before, during, and after the titanic tussle.
He said: “I’m enjoying being back out in front of these European fans and appreciate all their support.”
For the sake of balance, it is worth pointing out that the Sportsbet.io Mosconi Cup does have its problems.
The decision to end last night’s action early – with three matches instead of four – prompted consternation among supporters, with one fan claiming that it isn’t the first time such an occurrence has happened.
Scheduling the tournament for the same week as snooker’s UK Championship, meanwhile, raised eyebrows, especially when nine-ball enjoys a fraction of ‘the gentleman’s game’s’ popularity.
And arguments persist around whether each side should be given a sixth slot, with Team Europe captain Jayson Shaw arguing the quality on the Tour is now too great to keep the limit at five players.
He said: “In the future I would have six players on the team.
“There’s a lot more players chasing the Mosconi Cup who get left out, who’ve done a lot of work all year to get in.”
But regardless of these issues, the popularity of the Cup – and, with it, nine-ball in general – is increasing exponentially.
Names like Filler, Grost, and Shaw seem to be gradually breaking into the public consciousness in a way they simply haven’t before.
If the Sportsbet.io Mosconi Cup continues on its current trajectory, then someday soon nine-ball pool may indeed have its equivalent of teenage darts sensation Luke Little.
The Sportsbet.io Mosconi Cup is taking place until Saturday 6 December. Catch all the action live on Sky Sports.
Feature image: James Bools
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