Basque pelota blog in english – Dos paredes

Sunday 20^th March, Eibar

XALA – BARRIOLA beat GONZALEZ – LASKURAIN 22-17

Xala and Barriola were the clear favourites for this, the second Pairs semi final, but they made heavy work of defeating Gonzalez and Laskurain, who are seen by many as the dark horses of the last four. True, there were mitigating circumstances, in the form of a pull to the left buttock of Xala. He started the match with all of his recent form, allowing his pair to keep pace with their opponents, despite the uncharacteristic early errors of Barriola, who looked significantly off colour. From 5-6, they surged forwards, a now more consistent Barriola playing like clockwork with his excellent partner. They added nine points with no reply, and Gonzalez and Laskurain, less incisive and lacking in imagination, looked dead in the water. Gonzalez in particular paid the price of his errors, which by the end of the match totalled seven. When they proceeded to lose the next three points, there was no immediate cause for panic, but brows were furrowed in their camp when Xala retired to the locker room for treatment. Upon his return, he looked stiff and attacked with less venom, becoming more reliant on the defence of Barriola. Thankfully for him, the man from Leitza played like a rock, even under vicious attack from Laskurain. The momentum in the back division shifted several times over, but once Barriola found his rhythm, his class told, and Laskurain became ever more prone to error, his body language deteriorating with his fortunes.

Xala and Barriola allowed their opponents to come within striking distance at 15-16 and 16-18, but in the end rode out the storm thanks to their greater tactical nous and ability to manipulate Gonzalez and Laskurain, who while threatening, never quite had enough. They did not win as many expected them to do, and some may be quick to point out holes in their armour, but the fact that they came through proves how tough they will be to dethrone. With Xala fit, they are still very much the number one pair.

Scoring sequence: 2-0, 2-2, 3-2, 3-3, 5-3, 5-5, 6-5, 6-14, 9-14, 9-15, 12-15, 12-16, 15-16, 15-18, 16-18, 16-20, 17-20, 17-22.

Service winners: none

Winners: Gonzalez 6, Laskurain 2, Xala 9, Barriola 0

Errors: Gonzalez 7, Laskurain 6, Xala 3, Barriola 6

Match time: 79:26, with 30:54 of actual playing time

Balls hit: 628

Sweat and toil for Xala

Image from Deia

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Sunday 13th March, Eibar

XALA – BARRIOLA beat BENGOETXEA VI – ALBISU 22-8

This match was all about Oinatz Bengoetxea and Jon Ander Albisu, and by extension, Patxi Ruiz. Yves Sallaberry (Xala) and Abel Barriola, the favourites, had already secured their berth in the semi finals, but for their opponents, this was crunch time. Their Asegarce colleagues, Iker Arretxe and Ibai Zabala had done their best to eliminate Martinez de Irujo and David Merino, but squandered a match point to lose 22-21, meaning that Bengoetxea and Albisu had to score at least ten points against Xala and Barriola to qualify. For Bengoetxea and his usual partner, Patxi Ruiz, this should have been a formality. However, with Ruiz injured, grave responsibility fell on the head of his replacement, inexperienced twenty year old Albisu. Given the track record of Bengoetxea and Ruiz as a pair over the past year, a semi final line up devoid of them would seem perverse, but Xala and Barriola were in no mood for charity, and Albisu was forced to leave the fronton, head in hands, with Bengoetxea high and dry.

The encounter started in the worst possible way for the Asegarce pair; Albisu hit high in open play, and then again from a Xala serve, allaying no fears about the possible state of his nerves. Bengoextea steadied the ship with a crosscourt flick, ending a hard fought point, to get his partnership on the board, but Xala showed that he could beat him at his own game in the very next point, before Albisu miscued twice more in the next three points. Bengoetxea subsequently rushed into a potential drop winner which met the ground instead of the frontis. Scoring was an arduous trial for the blue pair, who picked up points periodically, but could not establish any momentum. Bengoetxea’s class shone through with the winners he managed, notably in the two excellent drops on 2-8 and 3-8, the second of which revealed disorganisation in the red camp for the first, and perhaps only time in the game.

However, despite the sterling defensive efforts for which he has become renowned, Bengoetxea was unable to compensate for the lack of attacking platform afforded him by Albisu. It was assumed that Xala and Barriola would target the young defender as the weak link, but as things unfolded, it became clear that he would dig his own grave. Time and again he hit too high, perhaps attempting in vain to put some pressure on the relentless Barriola. More frustratingly for the blues, he threw away points which should have been theirs; on 5-12, Barriola was forced forward to cover a txoko, but was let off the hook by an error, the result of either carelessness or tension. Again, and more crucially, on 8-20, with the magic ten points almost in reach, he undid all the excellent scrapping forward work of Bengoetxea to concede match point.

While the flailing Asegarce duo tried in vain to accrue points, Xala and Barriola moved forward with all of their customary ease and grace. So reliable and efficient was Barriola that one hardly noticed his presence. He ran rings around his young counterpart without breaking a bead of sweat, to the extent that there was an almost audible gasp when he finally made an error on 20-7. Watching such a consummate master at work, it seems baffling that he has won as few major championships as he has. Consistency throughout the year, as in an individual match, is Barriola’s byword, but maybe this time around the rewards will come. Xala’s showing was less than totally perfect, but so dominant was he over Bengoetxea that his two errors were hardly noticed. Most of his mounting winners were achieved with brutal ease, whether rocketed crosscourt or tapped delicately into the corner. On the occasions when Bengoetxea did engage him in a scap, Xala more often than not had his number. Even in the close fight on 3-8 which Bengoetxea won, Xala’s pick-up off the floor, adjudged to have bounced twice, was an extremely close run thing.

So, it is over and out for Bengoetxea and Ruiz. With Ruiz in place, the necessary ten points would surely have come more easily. Albisu fought as hard as he could, and showed talent in spurts, but in truth he leaked points, and gave Bengoetxea little room to manoeuvre. The qualifying concerns of their rivals were of little import to Xala and Barriola, who continued on their serene journey through this championship. They head the final quartet, and it would be brave in the extreme to predict their exit before four becomes two.

Scoring sequence: 2-0, 2-1, 4-1, 4-2, 8-2, 8-4, 9-4, 9-5, 17-5, 17-6, 20-6, 20-8 and 22-8.

Match time: 47.04 minutes, with 21.22 minutes of play

Service winners: Xala 4, Bengoetxea 0

Winners: Xala 9, Barriola 0, Bengoetxea 4, Albisu 0

Errors: Xala 2, Barriola 1, Bengoetxea 3, Albisu 5

No joy for Oinatz

Image from Diario Vasco

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Sunday 30^th January, Eibar

OLAIZOLA II – BEGINO beat XALA – BARRIOLA 22-19

This match was billed as the clash of the titans, a contest between the only two undefeated pairs in the championship. Opinions were divided as to who deserved favouritism. Xala and Barriola had shown themselves to be a Rolls Royce of a pair, a well oiled machine. Barriola had been the defender of the tournament, and his solidity and invention had been key in setting up Xala for his nonchalant killer blows. Despite the huge strength of Begino, almost all discussion of the Asegarce pair centred on Olaizola. Nobody knew, when the pairings were announced at the end of last year, how he would fare, having returned so recently after a seven month injury lay off. He appeared to lack some of his pre-injury speed, though his left arm seemed just as potent a weapon as ever. However, this showdown gave the Goizuetarra a golden opportunity to demonstrate his enduring class, and he seized it with both hands, the right as well as the left.

The 1200 baying fans who filled Astelena to the rafters expected virtuosity, and at first they were surely disappointed; of the first eleven points, eight ended with errors. The pairs refused to be separated in either winners or faults, as both forwards blew hot and cold. Aimar was the playmaker in the first two points, almost grasping the first one with a sizzling, but just wide, gantxo, and finding his range in the second with an easy txoko. The Aspe pair edged ahead when Begino blew the work of his partner, followed by a strike from Xala, but a falta from the latter, followed by a working over by Aimar of Barriola brought affairs level again at 3-3. 4-4 gave way to 6-6 as stalemate continued.

The game then began to shift in favour of Xala and Barriola, who increasingly exerted their accustomed control. Xala’s serve was key to the kick starting of this passage of play as three aces brought easy points, and an increasingly rattled Begino appeared unable to put hand to ball. Barriola joined his partner in the pressurisation of Begino, who made two errors in a row, first hitting wildly wide in a tame end to an otherwise virtuosic point, and then rather inevitably succumbing to the onslaught of his opposite number. An error apiece from the blue pair brought the reds back within two points of parity, but Xala upped his game once again, wrong footing Aimar with a beautifully executed set piece, and striking two winners into clear open space. They suffered a slight lapse when Xala left a ball for Barriola, who was nowhere to be seen, but a five point lead was restored emphatically with two further aces.

It was hard to imagine a comeback from Aimar and Aritz, given the calm ease with which the gap over them had been created, but that was to reckon without the class of the seven-time txapela winner. Aimar, great and cool match player that he is, grasped the nettle and slipped into an altogether new gear. 11-16 became 14-16 in the blink of an eye, as he did for Barriola with a gargantuan long ball before striking two emphatic hammer blows in the form of a txoko and a gantxo. A revived Begino then got in on the act, foxing Barriola with a dipping ball to the side wall which he drove wide. It was then Xala’s turn to feel the heat, as Aimar found width and movement, sending him back and forth until he seemed fit to drop. His second successive error gave the Asegarce pair the lead at 17-16. Not content with this, Aimar forged ahead with two expertly worked points in which the inevitable outcome was two winners to his growing tally. There was a hint of resurgence from the blues, as Xala managed a txoko, and Begino succumbed to a moment of carelessness, but two further errors gave Aimar and Aritz a deserved win.

There is no doubt that Aimar Olaizola was the difference here; he found another gear into which his opponents were unable to shift. His ten winners showed the full range of his shot play and his movement, dispelling any doubts that his injury may have dampened his potency for the long term. Xala had his moments, but was stuck in a lower league on this occasion, managing only half the winners of his rival, and committing six costly errors. Barriola, for the most part, held sway at the back of the fronton, making fewer mistakes than his counterpart, but Begino was more than able to support Aimar when it mattered most, and Barriola was impotent to overcome the gap between the two forwards. On present form, we may have witnessed a preview of the final, though much can happen in the lengthy course of this championship. If these stellar pairs do meet again on this elevated stage, it will be a fight for the ages.

Scoring sequence: 0-1, 1-1, 1-3, 3-3, 3-4, 4-4, 6-4, 6-6, 6-10, 8-10, 8-13, 11-13, 11-16, 16-16, 20-16, 20-18, 21-18, 21-19, 22-19.

Winners/errors: Olaizola II (10/4), Xala (5/6), Begino (2/5), Barriola (1/1)

Aimar Olaizola seized the day

Image from Deia

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Sunday 23rd January, Eibar

BERASALUZE VIII – APRAIZ beat BENGOETXEA VI – PATXI RUIZ 22-17

The crowd at Astelena this afternoon seemed strangely subdued, perhaps not helped by the one sided opening match (Apezetxea and Arruti dismantled Idoate and Cecilio in their Promocion Championship game), and in similar fashion, the main event never really took off. The game between the two Asegarce pairs was a close one, but lacked sparkle, despite the best efforts of Pablo Berasaluze, who was on fire, and Alexis Apraiz who exerted sterling pressure. Bengoetxea and Ruiz were the favourites on paper, having won two of their three matches thus far, and holding an excellent prior track record as a combination, but they were uncharacteristically lacklustre, and surprisingly disorganised. Their defeat leaves the middle of the table wide open, and promises some tense encounters ahead.

Momentum traded hands several times over in the opening half of the game, and as the 12-12 scoreline suggested, the combinations were extremely evenly matched. Berasaluze and Apraiz were in the ascendency early, and proceeded to a 7-2 lead. Three of these points came from Berasaluze winners, and the forward from Berriz had his eye very much in from the off, but the reds were aided by four errors from a blue pair who seemed lacking in shape and direction. The game shifted for the first time when Apraiz hit carelessly high to allow Oinatz and Patxi the serve, and the next point, miraculously won by a gantxo from a covering Ruiz meant their tails were firmly up. Berasaluze pulled one back with a beautifully controlled point, but then three errors from the reds, and an easy crosscourt winner from Bengoetxea brought the game level at 8-8. In the period of play thereafter, neither team could break free, as Berasaluze and Apraiz went one up only to go two down thanks to two moments of Bengoetxea brilliance. Bengoetxea’s attempted third winner in a row went wide however, and Patxi miscued to make it 12-12. It was anybody’s game.

Most would have put money on Bengoetxea and Ruiz to slip up a gear at this juncture, being, in theory at least, the classier pairing, but the opposite happened, and the favourites began to look more and more out of sorts. Berasaluze went on the attack like a terrier in the next three points, forcing desperate defence from his opponents. Ruiz was heroic in his covering efforts in the first of them, but could do nothing to prevent the winning airez. Berasaluze’s gantxo in the next was pinpoint perfect, and the second of two beautifully timed drops in the third proved too much for Bengoetxea, who fell awkwardly and retired for treatment. On his return, Bengoetxea pulled his pair back to 13-15 with a dipping ball into the wall which he appeared to enjoy greatly, but the resurgence was not to be. In the next two rallies, the blue pair got themselves in what can only be described as mess. Several times previously, Bengoetxea had found himself out of position, making Patxi cover for him, and here they were forced round the wrong way twice in a row. Each made a valiant effort to carry out the other’s job but they were sitting ducks for both Apraiz, who pressured the unwilling defender, and Berasaluze who finished the job. A service winner and an unreturnable volley from Berasaluze ensued, and in quick time it was 19-13. The blues pulled two points back, before another mishap made it 20-15; this time Bengoetxea left a ball for Patxi, which Patxi could not reach. There was a miniature late rally from the pre match favourites, but it was too little too late, as the star of the show, Pablo Berasaluze, finished things off with a gantxo and a serve.

In the final analysis, both Berasaluze and Apraiz were a cut above their opponents. Despite collecting all the plaudits with a haul of twelve winners, Berasaluze must owe much of his success to the excellent delivery from the back of Apraiz. Apraiz also placed considerable pressure on Ruiz, who was unable to return many balls with the necessary air to evade the cutting arm of Berasaluze. Bengoetxea, though he was below his best, did produce seven winners, but he had little to work with, and often failed to do enough with his chances. There is no need for the losers to panic; despite a below par display, they still occupy third place in the table, level on points with their vanquishers who are in fourth. At this early stage, Xala-Barriola and Olaizola II-Begino appear to be the class of the tournament, but below them there is much to play for.

Scoring sequence: 0-1, 4-1, 4-2, 7-2, 7-4, 8-4, 8-8, 9-8, 9-9, 10-9, 10-10, 10-11, 10-12, 12-12, 15-12, 15-13, 16-13, 19-13, 19-15, 20-15, 20-17, 22-17.

Pablito on song

Image from Noticias de Alava

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Sunday 16th January, Eibar

OLAIZOLA II – BEGINO beat ARITZ LASA – MERINO II 22-15

At the start of the week, this match was anticipated as the first meeting, not only in the 2011 championship but for a long while, of the two great rival forwards, Aimar Olaizola and Juan Martinez de Irujo. When it was announced that Irujo had not recovered in time from his hand problem, many doubtless emitted sighs of disappointment. However, nobody who saw the display at Astelena on Sunday can have left feeling short changed, for the game was scintillating from first until last. Although the unbeaten pairing of Olaizola and Begino in the end had a gear in reserve, nobody expected replacement Lasa, and thrilling young talent David Merino to exert the pressure they did.

In their first two matches, Aritz Begino had been the match winner for the Asegarce partnership, wearing their opponents down with sheer accuracy and dominance from the back of the fronton. However, on Sunday the match winner was Aimar, who finished the game with not one single error to his name. Aritz Lasa, determined to show that he is more than a second choice forward, threw everything at Goizueta’s finest but Aimar was in domineering mood and heaped pressure upon pressure. Lasa pulled off some startling winners, none more strident than the whipped airez which gave him the opening point, but Aimar forced him to take risks, and errors accompanied the flashes of brilliance. Time and again, he sent the blue pair into freefall. On occasion, such as on 5-8, and again at 9-12, they escaped drowning with all or nothing defence, and many of the mid-match rallies were extremely evenly matched, to the extent that they seemed as if they would last for eternity. The points on 12-9 and 12-10, for example, were titanic in scale, the latter in particular, but from 14-16, at which point they were very much still in the game, the constant barrage heaped upon Lasa and Merino began to tell. Lasa blew an easy chance for a txoko winner, and all defiance crumbled, as Aimar called the shots. The point on 19-14, in which Lasa and Merino found themselves the wrong way round just as Begino found the rebote, was symptomatic of their inability to match the increased tempo of the reds. Lasa held a candle to Aimar in patches, but the latter was too intelligent, too astute, and too relentlessly accurate to emulate.

Despite the loss, plaudits rained on David Merino, who at 20 is drawing comparisons with the greatest left-handers of the age. He kept pace with the far more experienced Begino, drawing gasps with his ability to return the ball from the furthest and unlikeliest of places. The errors came as the pressure grew, but at the outset at least, it was the young Riojan who looked the most assured of the defenders. In the end, the two were fairly evenly matched, but Merino it is who is making the headlines, for his promise, his elegance and his fearlessness. He has come of age since the debacle of his opening match with Irujo, and it will be fascinating to see if he can continue in this spirit when his original partner returns.

Olaizola and Begino remain unbeaten, and alongside Xala and Barriola must have moved into favouritism for the championship win. They combine experience, consistency, brilliance, intelligence and coolness in equal measure, and will be hard to stop. Lasa and Merino demonstrated here that in individual points at least, they can be tested, but they were also unable to respond when the heat was turned up. The championship is but young and fortunes can change like the tide, but a clear marker has been laid by the aces of the Asegarce pack.

Scoring sequence: 0-3, 1-3, 1-4, 2-4, 2-5, 8-5, 8-6, 9-6, 9-8, 12-8, 12-10, 14-10, 14-11, 16-11, 16-14, 20-14, 20-15, 22-15.

Winners: Olaizola II 7, Begino 3, Aritz Lasa 8, Merino II 3

Errors: Olaizola II 0, Begino 4, Aritz Lasa 6, Merino II 5

Match time: 75.03 minutes, with 33.46 minutes of actual playing time

Balls played: 681

Aimar Olaizola: astute and relentless

Image from Diario Vasco, by Jose Carlos Cordovilla

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Both Masters semi-finals took place this weekend and we now know the identity of the two pelotaris who will battle for the prestigious prize on Christmas day at Labrit. OINATZ BENGOETXEA progressed thanks AITOR ZUBIETA’s serious knee injury, which occurred during their match in Pamplona on Saturday. The Asegarce forward was 9-4 to the good when the accident happened, and had dominated the early stages, despite some expert defensive efforts from Zubieta, who was in the process of working his way into the game when his effort was cut short.

Scoring sequence: 6-0, 6-2, 9-2, 9-4. Service winners: Bengoetxea 0, Zubieta 2. Service faults: Bengoetxea 0, Zubieta 1. Winners: Bengoetxea 4, Zubieta 2. Errors: Bengoetxea 0, Zubieta 4. Match time: 22:12, with 6:21 of actual play.

Newly crowned Cuatro y Medio champion JUAN MARTINEZ DE IRUJO beat PATXI RUIZ 22-15 in Eibar on Sunday. Ruiz made by far the better start, going ahead 5-0 before his rival had had a chance to breathe. However, Irujo was unfazed, and staged the sort of comeback to which we have become used, taking the next five points to draw level. From this juncture, he never allowed himself to be headed, outdoing Ruiz for speed and invention. It was an uninspiring encounter, but Irujo met his objective with ease, and advances to another final.

Scoring sequence: 0-5, 7-5, 7-6, 13-6, 13-10, 20-10, 20-15, 22-15. Service winners: Irujo 7, Patxi Ruiz 3. Service faults: Irujo 0, Patxi Ruiz 0. Winners: Irujo 10, Patxi Ruiz 7. Errors: Irujo 5, Patxi Ruiz 4. Match time: 35:18, with 7:00 of actual play.

Bengoetxea and Irujo meet on Christmas Day

Image from Noticias de Navarra

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Sunday 28^th November, Eibar

MARTINEZ DE IRUJO beat GONZALEZ 22-13

Cuatro y Medio Semi Final

In theory, defending champion Sebastien Gonzalez had a chance to advance to the 2010 final. Facing him was Juan Martinez de Irujo, whom he beat for the title last year, and a win by seven points would have seen him through. However, Irujo was not about to let history repeat itself, and in a frenetic duel, the Manomanista Champion vanquished his erstwhile nemesis.

The early part of the match was close and tense, with the players level on 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. Irujo always emerged the better off however, repeatedly forging a slender lead and never allowing himself to be headed. When Irujo opened a three point lead at 9-6, the die was cast for Gonzalez, who was forced to try and play catch up. However, Irujo’s firepower and pace were too high for the txapela holder, and from 12-8, he hit four winners in a row to give him the sixteen points he needed to progress. Gonzalez continued to battle, but the gap grew, and he never came within five points of the man from Ibero, who appeared to relax and swing harder in the knowledge of his safety.

Irujo remains the only unbeaten player in the tournament, and will aim to keep things that way when he takes on Abel Barriola in the final at Atano III in San Sebastian on 12^th December. He will start as clear favourite on the strength of his reputation and his earlier win over the same opponent. However, Barriola looked imperious in his victory over Titin on Saturday, and has the class to subdue Irujo. It will be a fascinating battle of fire against ice for the year’s final championship.

Scoring sequence: 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2, 3-3, 5-3, 5-5, 6-5, 6-6, 9-6, 9-7, 12-7, 12-8, 16-8, 16-9, 17-9, 17-12, 18-12, 18-13, 22-13

Duration: 34:15, with 6:38 of actual playing time

Service winners: Irujo 2, Gonzalez 0

Service faults: Irujo 0, Gonzalez 2

Balls hit: 184

Winners: Irujo 10, Gonzalez 5

Errors: Irujo 7, Gonzalez 8

Gonzalez (left) was no match for Irujo (right)

Image from: Noticias de Navarra

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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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