Basque pelota blog in english – Dos paredes

Sunday 6^th June, Eibar

MARTINEZ DE IRUJO beat PATXI RUIZ 22-6

Manomanista Semi Final

There was little doubt in the mind of anyone that Juan Martinez de Irujo would take this semi final, and take it he did, with brutal authority. The odds were stacked so overwhelmingly in the favour of the defending champion that there were very few bets at all. Patxi Ruiz was afforded a leg up in this championship by Aimar Olaizola’s injury, but a solid victory against Retegi Bi was enough to give him his rightful place in the last four. That win must have given him confidence of a sort, but Irujo is an entirely different proposition, and the man from Ibero looked not only in a different league, but on an entirely different planet on Sunday. It took him all of 31 minutes, and 142 balls to complete his demolition job. In that time, he struck 14 winners and 4 service winners, to only 3 errors. He knew he could afford to cut loose, and that he had ample license to take risks, pushing the ball to the limits of the fronton. Ruiz was blocked out of almost every rally, blinded by pace and outdone by placement. As the spirit of the underdog waned, Irujo showed no mercy.

So, the holder of the txapela proceeds as expected to face Xala on 20^th June in Vitoria-Gastez for the 2010 prize. Irujo has three Manomanista crowns to his name thus far, level in the record books with Patxi Eugi and Miguel Gallastegi. Only five pelotaris have more: Ruben Beloki and Atano III (4), Azkarate and Retegi I (6) and the great Retegi II (11). At 28, Irujo has many more years ahead to make his rivals suffer. However, in his way stands Yves Salaberry, and on 2010 form, he will be a towering rival. ‘Xala’ has swept all before him this year, stunning in the Pairs, which he won with Zubieta, and barely challenged in the Manomanista thus far. If each man plays to his potential, this could be a final for the ages.

Scoring sequence: 3-0, 3-2, 8-2, 8-3, 13-3, 13-4, 17-4, 17-6, 22-6.

Source: Diario Vasco

Can Irujo add to his three Manomanista titles?

Image from: Kiroljokoa

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Sunday 9^th May, Eibar

XALA beat PATXI RUIZ 22-6

Manomanista Group B

Patxi Ruiz arrived at Astelena full of confidence on Sunday. He had defeated Aritz Begino to take his place in the championship on merit and looked strong in his match against Aimar Olaizola until the latter’s injury caused proceedings to be abandoned. He talked a good game and believed he could back it up. However, 36 minutes and 7 seconds later and Ruiz was a shadow of the pelotari he wished to be as Yves Salaberry completed a performance of such brutal class that all future opponents must be quaking in their boots. With his 22-6 annihilation of Patxi Ruiz, ‘Xala’ became the first player to book a certain place in the last four. The second berth available to players from Group B will be taken either by Ruiz or by Retegi Bi, who play each other on May 22^nd at Labrit.

The hapless Ruiz, although he made only three errors, was never afforded a look in by Xala, who struck fourteen winners to only one error. Before Ruiz could gather himself for an assault on the scoreboard, the dominant forward had scored ten points without reply. Xala directed the majority of his serves to the left wall, and gave them air, so that before Ruiz could counter, he had time to tap winners into the front court. He was unflappable, immovable, unstoppable, and appeared in a different league. Ruiz mustered three points before Xala surged again, moving from 10-3 to 14-3, and then to 21-4. Ruiz, who never gave up trying, saved two match points but the victory was only a matter of time for his opponent, who seized his place in the semi finals with the 163^rd ball of the match.

The Eibar fans rose to Xala with sincere warmth and respect, for Patxi Ruiz was hit by a tidal wave of power and grace the like of which is seen rarely. Ruiz can still qualify for the last four however, and must find a way to restore his positive outlook over the next two weeks. This will be no easy task. The victor, on the other hand, appears on an express train bound for the final. Will this be the year of Xala?

Scoring sequence: 0-10, 3-10, 3-14, 4-14, 4-21, 6-21, 6-22.

Source: Diario Vasco

It was a bad day at the office for Patxi Ruiz

Image from Noticias de Navarra, by Ainara Garcia

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Sunday 2^nd May, Eibar

BENGOETXEA VI beat BARRIOLA 22-13

Manomanista Group A

Leitza, a town of close to 3000 inhabitants in north western Navarre, is blessed with two of the top pelotaris of their generation. This match in Eibar was a repeat of the 2008 Manomanista final which saw Abel Barriola play Oinatz Bengoetxea in an encounter which divided the population in good natured rivalry. On that occasion Benogetxea took the txapela comfortably by 22 points to 11, confirming the reputation of Barriola as the frequent nearly-man of modern pelota. The 31 year old won the Manomanista in 2002, beating Ruben Beloki to take the crown, but he has since lost the final on two occasions as well as the Cuatro y Medio final four times. It was imperative that he beat Bengoetxea on Sunday in order to keep his 2010 hopes alive but again, it was the younger man who took the spoils.

Things started well enough for Barriola, who took the first point in a monumentally hard fought rally, but from then on Bengoetxea let his intent be known. In an aggressive display, he took the next six points to lead 6-1. He played with immense speed and verve, with his sotomano especially impressive, and hit winners from every angle, producing a txoko, a steepling ball over Barriola’s head, a crosscourt rocket and a dos paredes in quick succession. Although Barriola recovered to a degree, this opening salvo set the tone for the rest of the match, in which the eventual loser was never able to get his nose in front of his opponent.

Bengoetxea relaxed his guard a little in the following points, hitting wide, short and high, and succumbing to the pressure applied by the Barriola serve. Barriola showed his colours here, entering into some titanic rallies, topped off with several impressive winners, and managed to level the score at 8-8. However, the close struggle this suggested did not materialise as from this juncture, Bengoextea held the clear balance of power. Barriola ceded his hard won initiative with three consecutive misses, two from the Bengoetxea serve. Two slightly careless directional mistakes from Bengoetxea kept Barriola in the game at 10-11, but he would add only three more points to that tally. The two continued to attack each other hammer and tongs, but Bengoetxea was faster, more polished, and relentless. Many of his points were handed to him by errors from his opponent, but a large number of these infelicities were enforced by the 2008 champion’s sheer dynamism, and ability to turn defensive positions into ones of strength. Bengoetxea, though he committed seven errors, ended the match with thirteen winners to Barriola’s three.

Scoring sequence: 1-0, 1-6, 3-6, 3-7, 6-7, 6-8, 8-8, 8-11, 10-11, 10-16, 11-16, 11-19, 13-19, 13-22.

The situation in Group A is now a little complicated. It can be summed up as follows:

• Irujo is all but assured of a place in the semi-finals, having won both his matches. If he beats Bengoetxea, or loses by seven points or fewer, his place is sealed.  
• If Bengoetxea loses, he can only go through if Olaizola I loses to Barriola.
• Olaizola I must beat Barriola to have a chance, and hope that Bengoetxea loses.
• Barriola has a theoretical chance but it is a very slim one; for him to qualify, he would have to win by at least 22-6 over Olaizola I and hope that Bengoetxea loses.

The group resumes in two weeks, with both matches on 16^th May. Locations have yet to be announced.

Bengoetxea VI and Barriola, local rivals

Image from: fotolog

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Sunday 25^th April, Eibar

XALA beat GONZALEZ 22-5

Manomanista Group B

The fans at Astelena surely expected something better. Yves Salaberry and Sebastien Gonzalez were two pelotaris on form, two reigning champions in various formats, and on paper this looked like a good tussle. Xala took the scalp on Gonzalez in the Pairs Final earlier in the month and one might have expected the Cuatro y Medio king to be out for revenge. Aitor Zubieta, Xala’s co-victor in the Pairs, was in the chair as his colleague’s botillero, but this time the forward needed no help; 35.12 minutes later it was all over and Gonzalez appeared as a man broken.

Xala’s power in the opening spell left his opponent reeling, and he never recovered from the blow. The former raced to an 8-0 lead, partly through his own nous, and partly thanks to an error prone opponent. Xala served like a man possessed, giving Gonzalez little room for manoeuvre, and tested his rival with the long ball to great effect. When Gonzalez broke his duck with a gantxo to move to 1-8, there was a palpable sense of relief; perhaps he could make a fist of the tie. However, Xala continued to pile on the pressure and Gonzalez’ subsequent four points arrived in a slow, painful trickle.

Xala’s most impressive weapon was undoubtedly his serve. The statistics tell us that he accrued seven of his points through service winners, including four in a row, but in reality he netted more for even when Gonzalez returned the serve on several other occasions, he was already playing catch up. He also demonstrated the ability to work Gonzalez in open play, commanding points with calmness while his opponent was forced to cover the whole fronton in defence. The pressure was too much to bear for the man from Azkaine, who committed six errors to Xala’s two. To his credit, Gonzalez did not give up, and tried manfully to break the stranglehold, but like his attempted dos paredes at 5-19, his would-be winners were found wanting.

It took Xala a mere 137 balls to complete his demolition job on Gonzalez, who should have been a formidable opponent, and the form pelotari of 2010 has sent a clear signal of intent to all comers. With the injury to Aimar Olaizola, he must now be considered the outright favourite to take Group B and the leading lights of Group A should be fearful. Gonzalez, for his part, must attempt to rise again. No easy task.

Scoring sequence: 0-8, 1-8, 1-10, 2-10, 2-15, 3-15, 3-19, 5-19, 5-22.

Xala on fire

Image from: El Correo

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Sunday 18th April, Eibar

MARTINEZ DE IRUJO beat BARRIOLA 22-12

Manomanista Group A

The world of sport has been kind to Eibar in recent weeks. Earlier this month, the Bizkaian town hosted the queen stage of the Tour of the Basque Country, which finished atop its famous Arrate climb, and cheered Samuel Sanchez to victory. The win was important for home team Euskaltel Euskadi as it represented their first of the season in a year where performances are vital to secure future sponsorship. On Sunday, in a different sport, another man sought to pull off his first big victory of 2010 in Eibar; Abel Barriola had not played in the Manomanista Championship for two years due to injury and this was a red letter day for the man from Leitza. All eyes were on him as he took on reigning champion Juan Martinez de Irujo in a game which was seen by many as an exam, a test of his recovery, his fitness and his mettle. How would this former champion, so much missed, fare on his return to the biggest stage of all?

The crowd at Astelena was not what one could call a mighty throng, but there existed a palpable sense of occasion nonetheless. The cheer which greeted the protagonists in the headline match was infinitely louder than anything aimed at the players in the doubles encounter which preceded it, and the attendant pressure manifested itself in markedly different ways in each pelotari. Irujo came out as if determined to display his credentials to the world, a defending champion willing to lay his cards on the table. Barriola in contrast looked ill at ease, like a man feeling his way and sinking. Before he had time to breath, he found himself 0-5 down and all at sea. Barriola’s first point, surely met by a sigh of relief, came courtesy of a falta from Irujo and his subsequent service winner seemed to signal better times ahead. However, it was not to be as Irujo once again surged forwards, out maneuvering Barriola, out hitting him and slaying his spirit by turning defence into attack. With the score at 9-2, Barriola took his second time out, the act of a desperate man.

At this juncture, the outcome of the game appeared all but decided. The gulf between the players both in score and in demeanor was surely unbridgeable. However, Barriola, though an underdog here, is not a minnow and he saw fit to remind us of this fact. His fortunes shifted with the point which took the score to 3-9; Barriola mustered all his resources to retrieve a txoko from Irujo before a crosscourt strike snatched the point. The crowd, or at least his supporters and the neutrals, roared its collective approval. Barriola then forced two errors from his opponent, the first with an excellent serve and the second through a barrage of long, high balls which wore Irujo down. Irujo pulled a point back at 10-5 but Barriola pushed on again to level the scores at 11-11. The true Barriola shone brightly in this period of play. There were careless errors from Irujo, but the underdog served with brilliance and controlled his rival in the subsequent rallies, punishing him with his drop and sotamano. The game now appeared poised and the crowd expectant.

What followed, however, was a let down for all but diehard fans of Irujo. The champion, as champions do, stepped up a gear and found an extra level which flummoxed Barriola and left him for dead. Barriola’s rot started with a falta, which allowed Irujo to regain the lead at 12-11. In the next points, he hit wide and then low on return of serve before succumbing to a drop and a dos paredes from Irujo, who had regained his swagger. Barriola managed one more point thanks to his opponent striking the side wall too high, but in reality it was now one way traffic. Irujo, who finished Barriola off mercilessly with a lightening bolt to the wide court, was simply too good.

It would be easy to conclude that Barriola failed his exam, but that would perhaps be too harsh. He has recently returned from a serious knee injury which robbed him of a year of action, and while he performed well in his few matches leading up to the Manomanista, a game against a rampant Irujo is an altogether different proposition. He looked ring rusty, and his match readiness will improve with time. Time is of course not wholly on his side as he needs to find his mojo swiftly to progress beyond the group stages, but he can be encouraged by his performance in the middle third of this match; he showed that he is capable of bossing points, and he can mount a serious challenge if he finds his consistency. As for Irujo, he can reflect on a job very well done. He is back and hungry after a disappointing end to the Pairs Championship and it would be hard to bet against him. The show is on the road.

Scoring sequence: 5-0, 5-1, 5-2, 6-2, 9-2, 9-3, 9-5, 10-5, 10-7, 11-7, 11-11, 19-11, 19-12, 22-12.

Irujo and Barriola, rivals in Eibar

Image from: Aspe

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Sunday 14^th March, Eibar

XALA – ZUBIETA beat GONZALEZ – LASKURAIN 22-10

Pairs Semi Finals

In comparison with Saturday’s extravaganza at Labrit, the second semi final of the weekend was something of a let down, both in excitement and atmosphere.  Given how much was at stake – an automatic place in the final awaited the winners – attendance was disappointing. Perhaps the Eibar faithful sensed the likelihood of a drab affair. This match could have been a tight one, pitting as it did two in-form pairs against each other. The bookmakers had Xala and Zubieta as fairly strong favourites, but with Laskurain, particularly, in stellar shape, the match could have gone either way. But one sided it was, and the excitement was all the favourites’, as they became the first partnership to clinch a spot at Atano III.

Xala and Zubieta gained the initial advantage but their rivals fought back to 7-8; it looked like an open contest which would come to the boil nicely over the next minutes. However, from this point on, the eventual winners imposed themselves in ruthless fashion, and much to the chagrin of the opposition and the neutrals, Gonzalez and Laskurain had very little answer. Gonzalez did not play his best, leaking seven errors and managing only three winners. In contrast, Xala hooked powerfully, only let two balls defeat him and turned in eight winners. Laskurain gave his all but was not as sharp as in previous weeks and could not match the power of Zubieta in defence. Once Xala and Zubieta had bent the game to their will, their lead never fell below four points, with 7-12 giving way to 10-14 and then 10-22. It was not quite a rout but from the mid point, victory was a foregone conclusion.

Xala and Zubieta can now look forward to the final at Easter with bullish confidence. They appear to have risen to the top in this competition at the best possible moment. The outcome of their game this weekend against Irujo and Beroiz is immaterial as they are through and their opponents, much to the surprise of many, are out. The real interest of the coming week will reside in the prospect of Gonzalez and Laskurain playing Titin and Pascual for the last grand final place in what promises to be an encounter of searing intensity. Titin and Pascual will be the likely favourites, and one suspects they are the pair Xala and Zubieta would be least happy about facing in the final, but in such matches form is wont to go out the window. Miss it at your peril.

Scoring sequence: 0-3, 2-3, 3-7, 4-8, 7-8, 7-12, 9-14, 10-14 and 10-22.

Aitor Zubieta: Power

Sources: La Rioja, Aspe. Image from: Diario Vasco

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Sunday 17th January, Eibar

MARTINEZ DE IRUJO – BEROIZ beat BERASALUZE VIII – BEGINO 22-20

Pairs Championship Quarter Finals

There was fevered anticipation in the air at Astelena on Sunday as the packed house prepared to witness potentially the most thrilling match of the championship so far. Any match involving Manomanista and defending Pairs champion Juan Martinez de Irujo has an atmosphere and the excitement was enhanced by the presence of Pablo Berasaluze as his rival. Both play the game with an intensity which threatens to go off the scale and both have been in good form of late. Matches which are hyped to such a degree often fail to live up to their billing, but that was emphatically not the case here, as the encounter went right down to the wire.

The game was played at a furious pace, leading to many errors but also many flashes of brilliance from both forwards. Such was Irujo’s fervour in running down every ball which came his way that twice he hurt himself in the process, hitting his head before suffering pain in his back, but such minor scrapes were shrugged off. Irujo and Beroiz held a clear advantage for the majority of the match, with the young defender obviously more at ease than he was in his major championship debut last week. But with the score at 12-18 against them, Berasaluze and Begino showed pure determination to pull themselves level. The momentum looked to be in the Asegarce corner but the Aspe pair fought back brilliantly from 19-22 down to take the spoils. This important point means that Irujo and Beroiz sit squarely atop the table as the competition enters week three. They must surely now be the favourites for the crown.

Scoring sequence: 1-0, 1-1, 1-5, 5-5, 6-6, 9-6, 9-7, 10-7, 10-9, 13-9, 13-10, 15-10, 15-12, 18-12, 18-18, 19-19, 19-20, 22-20.

Pablito was felled at the death by Irujo

Image from: Diario Vasco

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Sunday 22^nd November, Astelena, Eibar

MARTINEZ DE IRUJO beat TITIN III 22-11

Sebastian Gonzalez must have girded up his loins for a tense afternoon on Sunday, as the result of the match between Titin III and Juan Martinez de Irujo had a direct bearing on whether he himself would reach the final. As things turned out, by game’s mid point, he may well have been relaxing contentedly with a cup of tea as Irujo’s dominance was never in doubt. For Titin it was victory or quits and the latter was, emphatically, his destiny.

Astelena was packed to the rafters for what many believed would be one of the matches of the championship. Irujo and Titin are both renowned for the intensity both of their play and of their demeanour and with so much at stake matters seemed set to be white hot. The crowd, who bedecked the arena in banners and Riojan flags, were primed for a fight but were left unfulfilled, for there was nothing Titin could do to quench Irujo’s fire. For at least the first four points, affairs were close as the players traded both blows and errors to find themselves locked at 2-2. From that point on however, Irujo located the accelerator and went. The man from Ibero moved from 5-4 to 17-4 with seamless ease. This period of play was peppered with errors by Titin, including a moment of clouded judgement when he left a ball he thought was long. Irujo for his part hit winners at will, mixing powerful hooks and deft drops in a display of breathtaking pace and utter confidence. Titin, who usually appears furious and incredulous when under the cosh, could muster only disbelief and resignation.

However, Titin would not be Titin without the stomach for a battle and the Riojan mustered a fightback of sorts. He broke Irujo’s incredible run of points when the latter could not scoop up a dipping ball close to the frontis, and won the next two in quick time with a dosparedes and a long service return from Irujo. Irujo took back the initiative and advanced to 19-7, almost within touching distance of the final, but his opponent was not yet done and reacted with four points in a row courtesy of a string of uncharacteristic errors from his opponent. But any doubts about Irujo’s ability to close out the match were swiftly dispelled. Titin rallied impressively but in reality the die was cast; two more errors from Titin followed by a signature hook and the game was up.

This was an impressively clinical display from Irujo who knew precisely what he had to do and did the job without a flicker of self doubt. While Gonzalez must be delighted with his final ticket, part of him must be quaking at the thought of playing an Irujo in such rampant form. Irujo finds himself in his third major final of the year and Gonzalez is the only man between him and a clean sweep. The two will meet at Atano III on 8^th December.

Scoring sequence: 0-1, 1-1, 1-2, 2-2, 5-2, 5-4, 17-4, 17-7, 19-7, 19-11 and 22-11.

Irujo: clinical

Image from: El Correo Digital

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Sunday 15th November, Astelena, Eibar

TITIN III beat GONZALEZ 22-17

Astelena was full to the rafters on Sunday evening for a game of high intensity between Augusto Ibanez and Sebastian Gonzalez. It was an encounter which had far reaching ramifications for the makeup of the championship final; had Gonzalez won, his place would have been assured, but it is Titin who now finds himself in the box seat in the fight to reach the endgame. Gonzalez and Irujo are squarely in the battle while Retegi Bi is all but out.

The game hung on a knife edge for the first eighteen points, after which the protagonists were tied at nine apiece. Both had appeared nervous in the opening plays, the first three points being won through rather unecessary errors. However, both found their stride and the crowd, many of whom had made the trip from Rioja to support Titin, was treated to some scintillating shot making. As befits a match where the stakes are so high, the tussle had its fair share of controversy as the players twice collided, sparking protests of obstruction from each in turn. The drama increased when Titin was forced to leave the fronton following a blow to the head as he dived. Far from knocking his confidence, the incident seemed to spur him on to greater things as he immediately pulled a crosscourt winner right out of the top drawer. For the rest of the encounter, Titin managed to keep his nose fractionally in front of Gonzalez, who missed some key chances to take control.

Titin, as is his wont, played with seething controlled aggression and will surely trouble Juan Martinez de Irujo when they meet on Sunday in the same arena. Expect a white hot evening.

Scoring sequence: 0-1/ 1-1/ 1-2/ 2-2/ 3-2/ 3-3/ 3-7/ 8-7/ 8-8/ 8-9/ 9-9/ 13-9/ 13-11/ 14-11/ 15-11/ 15-12/ 17-12/ 17-14/ 18-14/ 18-17/ 19-17/ 22-17

Titin rampant

Image from: Diario Vasco

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Sunday 8th November, Astelena, Eibar
TITIN III beat RETEGI BI 22-13

It is twelve years since the famous Cuatro y Medio final of 1997. The epic duel between Retegi II and Titin III has gone down in history as one of the greatest games of all time and its shadow was never far from Astelena on Sunday. Retegi II and Titin met again but in very different circumstances, as the former coached his son, Julen, against the player he once defeated. Titin, now aged 40, has withstood the test of time and succeeded against the son where he failed against the father.

Julen Retegi looked tight and nervous from the off, a pale imitation of the player who had so spectacularly thwarted Aimar Olaizola in the quarter finals. Titin raced to a 6-1 lead while Retegi failed both in direction and positioning on the fronton. The young forward pulled two points back by way of two errors from Titin but at 13-3 to the Riojan legend, the game appeared to be up for Retegi. However, much to the delight of the Tolosa faithful, Retegi rallied, showing flashes of his quarter final dominance. In the course of the game’s middle section, in which Retegi closed to 13-16, Titin committed six errors, some more unforced than others, but Retegi also displayed some dazzling shot making prowess. This was nowhere more apparent than in the beautifully worked txoko at 13-4 and in the stunning dosparedes winner which took the score to 13-10. However, just as the game appeared to be shaping up for a battle royal, Retegi lost all his momentum after a falta which ripped into his confidence. The man from Pamplona failed to add to his score as Titin ran away with it, 22-13.

Retegi appeared utterly dejected and it is easy to see why. In his previous match he had pulled off one of the upsets of the year in totally outplaying the defending champion, the man who has dominated Cuatro y Medio in recent years. He showed tantalising glimpses of that form here but proved unable to sustain it. He needs to find an extra gear if he is to compete at this level on a consistent basis. Titin for his part played with impressive verve and his customary passion. He has the ammunition to make quite some mark on the remainder of this tournament; Irujo and Gonzalez must be on their guard when faced with the evergreen warrior from Tricio.

Scoring sequence: 0-1, 6-1, 6-3, 7-3, 13-3, 13-10, 14-10, 14-11, 16-11, 16-13 and 22-13.

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