Marc Bazeley
Mosconi Cup 2023: Jayson Shaw ready to give as good as he gets for Team Europe's defence against Team USA
Team Europe vice-captain Jayson Shaw is anticipating another rowdy atmosphere when he and his team-mates take on America's best nine-ball players in defence of the Mosconi Cup; Watch the 2023 Mosconi Cup live on Sky Sports Arena from Wednesday, December 6 (6.30pm)
Last Updated: 04/12/23 5:38pm
In the three-decade history of the Mosconi Cup, there is arguably no one who has got under the skin of their opponents quite like Earl Strickland.
The American pool icon's confrontations with opposing players and referees, and outbursts at the crowd, made him something of a pantomime villain for Team Europe supporters too. So, it would perhaps be wise not to try to provoke the master of the mind games.
That is, of course, unless you happen to be Jayson Shaw. Because, last year, the Scottish cueist showed no compunction about mimicking Strickland in putting his ear to the crowd when he beat the three-time nine-ball world champion on enemy turf in Las Vegas last year.
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This year's playing vice-captain for Europe embraces that side of the annual clash with the best nine-ball players the USA has to offer and is going to be doing his best to get the home fans creating a raucous atmosphere at Alexandra Palace.
"Vegas last year was a little bit rowdy with their fans and I think their fans have started picking up that they need to be more like the European fans," Shaw told Sky Sports News ahead of the 2023 Mosconi Cup, which starts on Wednesday, December 6 live on Sky Sports.
"This year, I'm going to make sure the fans are really on it. I get a lot of stick, but I give a lot too.
"You've got to take the good with the bad and there's always a lot of rivalry in the team, but now you've got a little bit more."
Strickland will not be adding to his 15 appearances for Team USA at this year's tournament, but Shaw already has his eye on winding up another member of the opposition in former Team Europe player Fedor Gorst.
The Russia-born 2019 world nine-ball champion represented Europe in the Covid-affected 2020 tournament behind closed doors in Coventry as the hosts triumphed 11-3. However, gaining permanent residency in the USA means Gorst has been able to switch allegiance.
That means the player who was at one point ranked No 2 in Europe's Race to the Mosconi Cup standings will be lining up for Jeremy Jones' team as they seek to regain the trophy they last held in 2019, and Shaw has already been engaging in some good-natured ribbing of Gorst.
"Terrible," Shaw said jokingly of his reaction to Gorst switching sides, adding: "Obviously, it's his decision, right?
This year, I'm going to make sure the fans are really on it. I get a lot of stick, but I give a lot too.
Team Europe vice-captain Jayson Shaw
"It's up to him to do what he wants to do, but I don't think I could ever do that, and I think there are a few other players who couldn't do that.
"He's going to pay the price for doing that and he's going to get a lot of heat for that this week. I've already been giving him a lot of stick for that, but he takes it well and he's a good person.
"He's a great player and I'm sure he's going to play well, but I'm going to try to make him play not so well."
As for his form on the table, Shaw heads into the Mosconi Cup ranked fifth in the World Nineball Tour rankings and having claimed his first title on the tour with a thrilling 13-12 win over Europe team-mate Albin Ouschan in October's Hanoi Open final.
It could hardly have been better preparation for the upcoming clash with the Americans either, with the two-time Mosconi Cup Most Valuable Player feeling the tournament in the Vietnamese capital city was as close as a singles tournament gets to those matches.
"When I saw the venue and the crowd it reminded me of the Mosconi Cup and when I went out there it felt like I was playing Mosconi Cup matches," Shaw said. "It was great preparation for this week.
"At the start of the year, a lot of things weren't really going for me, but I've just tried to stay positive, keep working on my game, working on myself, and I feel like I'm in a good position now.
"I'm playing well, I feel good in myself and I'm looking forward to it."
Shaw has been playing a big part in Europe's preparations for their defence of the Mosconi Cup too, setting up a pre-tournament camp at his sister's pool hall in Scotland where they got plenty of match practice as well as some team bonding in.
That included playing a challenge match against a team of five local nine-ball players mimicking the Mosconi Cup format, in which Europe triumphed 11-4, and the 33-year-old could hardly be happier with how Ralph Eckert's squad are shaping up ahead of the event.
"I really feel our team have that good bond," Shaw said. "We don't have to really take in a rookie and try to help them out, everybody has been there.
"We've all won big tournaments all year and been in that position of playing in big finals. I feel like we're really there and ready to play."
Watch every ball of the Mosconi Cup live on Sky Sports Arena from 6.30pm on Wednesday, December 6 to Saturday, December 9. You can also stream the 2023 Mosconi Cup and more of the best sport without a contract with NOW.
