Chris Robinson will make his Team USA debut at this year’s partypoker Mosconi Cup after being selected by Jeremy Jones as his fifth and final player to travel to London to defend the title against Team Europe this December 1-4, live on Sky Sports and DAZN.
The 22-year-old from California enjoyed a fifth-place finish at the Diamond Las Vegas Open before the Covid-19 pandemic put a halt to professional tournaments in March. Robinson has since impressed Captain Jones and Vice-Captain Joey Gray in training camps ahead of this year’s partypoker Mosconi Cup.
Robinson will join Shane van Boening, Skyler Woodward, Justin Bergman and Billy Thorpe on the team, with America looking to make it a partypoker Mosconi Cup three-peat having first regained the title after an eight-year drought in London in 2018 before successfully defending it in Las Vegas last Thanksgiving.
“I am so happy,” said Robinson. “I will be working my tail off from now until December. I felt like I left my best game on the table when I was training with JJ and that is the best you can do. I think I have evolved as a player and probably improved more over the last few months than I have in quite a while.
“When I got the call I was driving from a pool hall to where I was staying. I was kind of expecting it to be one of those calls the same as the two calls I’ve had in the past two years, where I still have stuff to work on and next year would be the year I’m shooting at. When Jeremy said I’d made it, I didn’t really know how to react. I don’t think it has 100 percent hit me yet.
“My career goal was to win a Mosconi Cup. This is setting into reality but just because I made it, we haven’t won yet, so I need to do my part, keep getting better, and it’s all part of the process.”
Captain Jones added: “There are many positives with Chris. He is a guy I have seen heading in the right direction, he is a grinder, plays hard, practises hard, trains hard and has a great frame of mind for this type of setting. He is also a player who I think is going to reap the rewards of being around the rest of the team.
“I think he will relish in the Mosconi Cup and really perform well in December. It felt that he was going to make a Mosconi Cup team at one time or another; I wasn’t so sure it was going to be this year but got to spend a little more time with him and love his attitude, love his goals and I think he is a player who will reap the rewards of being around those other four champions.”
The final player to join Team Europe will be announced on Thursday.
The 2020 partypoker Mosconi Cup is set to take place at Alexandra Palace, London from December 1-4, live on Sky Sports and DAZN.
Matchroom Pool are still hopeful and determined that the partypoker Mosconi Cup will take place this year and are in constant detailed discussions with the relevant organisations and personnel to stay up to date. Our highest priority is the safety of everyone connected with the event however we are working hard to explore every avenue to making this work and will continue to do so, if it is possible.
Follow Matchroom Pool on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. For all the latest event news please visit www.mosconicup.com.