Basque pelota blog in english – Dos paredes

Saturday 22^nd October, Pamplona

OLAIZOLA II beat GONZALEZ 22-15

Aimar Olaizola, in beating Sebastien Gonzalez on Saturday, became the second player to book his place in the semi-final league of the Cuatro y Medio, regaining his position in the elite four after his shock exit to Retegi Bi in 2009 and injury induced absence in 2010. The four time champion therefore keeps alive the hope of a fifth title, which would take him past Julien Retegi as the greatest Cuatro y Medio player in history.

Aimar had won his previous two Cuatro y Medio meetings with Gonzalez, beating him 22-14 in 2004 and 22-8 in 2006, but here the loser did rather better, racking up 15 points and giving his stellar opponent an early scare. Gonzalez went ahead 4-0 and tensions flared when a dubious call went to way of Aimar to reduce his deficit to 1-4. These two players are well documented as not being the best of friends, and there was no love lost on the fronton as Gonzalez complained bitterly and threw everything he had at the man from Goizueta. He once again extended his lead to 7-2, but gradually, bit by bit, Aimar came back at him, eating into both his lead and his morale. He gained ascendency for the first time at 11-10 and never let Gonzalez close to within fewer than two points. Both players blew hot and cold, errors symptomatic of the tension of the situation and the high stakes that existed. Aimar is not quite in the stunning form which he carried through the summer, but having reached the last four, he will strike for glory once again with his customary coolness and cast iron determination.

Scoring sequence: 0-4, 2-4, 2-7, 7-7, 7-9, 11-9, 11-10, 14-10, 14-11, 16-11, 16-14, 18-14, 18-15, 22-15.

Olaizola II: winners (10) errors (7) service winners (5) service faults (0) 4 ½ line faults (0)

Gonzalez: winners (7) errors (6) service winners (1) service faults (0) 4 ½ line faults (1)

Match time: 50:31

Balls hit: 250

Botilleros: Asier Olaizola with his brother Aimar  and Ramuntxo Mujika with Gonzalez

Aimar takes his place in the elite four

Image from Diario de Navarra, Source: Diario Vasco

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The final of the Torneo Villa de Zarautz takes place tonight at Aritzbatalde. Matches start at 17:00 CEST, but note that ETB Sat coverage is delayed, and will begin at 22:05 CEST.

In the first semi final, on Friday, OLAIZOLA II and ALBISU won a resounding 22-11 victory over GONZALEZ (standing in for Xala), and ZUBIETA. There was not much to choose between the defenders, both of whom did an adequate job. Albisu, much to his and everyone’s relief, was much improved from his debacle with Xala in Vitoria-Gasteiz the previous week. The real discrepancy came in the forwards, where Gonzalez was very lacklustre, and Olaizola was stunning, firing 14 winners to only one error, creating space with ease in which to fire his relentless salvo. He barely broke sweat.

On Saturday, MARTINEZ DE IRUJO and LASKURAIN defeated BENGOETXEA VI and BEGINO, the Virgen Blanca champions, to claim their final spot. Bengoetxea, so scintillating in the summer tournaments thus far, was below his best, gifting Irujo far too much, and not putting him under any telling pressure. Begino was solid, but was outplayed by Laskurain, as the Aspe pair took the tie 22-16. Irujo would dearly love a trophy to salvage his less than brilliant season; in his quest to achieve it, he must overcome arch-rival Aimar and his storming form.

Tuesday 16th August, Zarautz

22:05 (CEST) ARITZ LASA – MERINO v APEZETXEA – IBAI ZABALA

Followed by OLAIZOLA II – ALBISU v MARTINEZ DE IRUJO  – LASKURAIN Torneo Villa de Zarautz Final

To watch, go to http://www.eitb.com/television/etb-sat/en-directo

All eyes are on Zarautz tonight

Image from: georg-wieler.de

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Friday 29^th April, Ascain

IDOATE beat GONZALEZ 22-19

The Manomanista Championship moved to the home town of Sebastien Gonzalez for this second round match, and the local fans expected nothing less than a win for their man, playing under the glowering presence of a gigantic picture of himself. The match was a great spectacle, with strings of marathon rallies, each player aiming to fight the other into the ground. Gonzelez played excellently, but thanks to the skill of the classy and ever improving young Mikel Idoate, the victory eluded him.

The older player, much to the delight of his supporters, started the better of the two. The first point was long and involved, a taste of what was to come, but Gonzalez delivered a statement of intent, seizing it with a brutal gantxo. He proceeded to 3-1 and 4-2 thanks to some solid serving and an error from Idoate, but errors of his own, plus and service winner and a txoko gave his opponent the lead at 4-5. Idoate almost moved two ahead with a near inspired shot into the corner, which he seemed amazed had missed, and perhaps rejoicing in his let off, Gonzalez forged ahead once again, to 9-5. At this point, Gonzalez looked fully in charge. He showed his ability to get past his rival almost any way he pleased, whether to the left, to the right, or over his head.

However, Idoate, sensing the game might be slipping from his grasp, showed his mettle with some stunning play, winning eight points in a row to turn the match on its head. In the point on 9-5, Gonzalez appeared to have him where he wanted him, pinned back and open to the drop. Idoate though, replied with a staggering dos paredes to grab the point for himself. The next point, which he won with an inspired drive to the corner from deep, was no less virtuosic. He proceeded with a service winner and a drop, before running rings round Gonzalez with a txoko followed by a long ball when he was still sprawling by the frontis. When Gonzalez hit low, it was 9-13 and he was visibly demoralised.

Again, however, the momentum swung, as Gonzalez kick started his recovery with an airez, breaking Idoate’s sustained and impressive defence. Thanks in the most part to the strength of his serve and the resulting easy winners, he pegged the scoreboard back to 13-13. The protagonists could not be separated and found themselves tied again at 14 and 15 apiece. Once again, Gonzalez appeared to have broken the resolve of his young opponent, going ahead with a winner from a txoko he barely managed to scrape off the floor. He opened up a three point gap after a long scrap at 18-15, but Idoate would not be bowed. Showing incredible determination and no fear of Gonzalez’s greater experience he stormed back, winning six of the next seven points, and demonstrating the full gamut of winners in the process, to take the tie 22-19. He now plays Asier Olaizola, who is returning from a knee injury, on Saturday, and on this showing, may have the measure of him.

Scoring sequence: 1-0/ 2-1/ 3-1/ 3-2/ 4-2/ 4/ 5/ 6-5/ 7-5/ 8-5/ 9-6/ 9-8/ 9/ 9-10/ 9-11/ 9-12/ 9-13/ 10-13/ 13/ 13-14/ 14/ 15/ 16-15/ 18-15/ 18/ 18-19/ 19/ 19-22

Match time: 55 minutes, with 13 minutes of actual play.

Balls hit: 307

Winners: Idoate 15, Gonzalez 11

Service winners: Idoate 4, Gonzalez 1

Errors: Idoate 3, Gonzalez 7

Talented and determined: Mikel Idoate

The other Manomanista second round results, in brief, were as follows:

OLAIZOLA II beat MERINO II 22-5 (Saturday 30th April, Labrit) This was a demolition job by Aimar Olaizola, the rampant pairs champion, and David Merino looked resigned from an early stage. There was nothing Merino could do about the dominance of the Olaizola serve, and when he did manage to enter into a rally, he was more often than not sunk by the best gantxo in the game. Olaizola now plays Irujo, in a match up many would perhaps rather see in the final.

RETEGI BI beat URRUTIKOETXEA 22-15 (Saturday 30th April, Amorebieta) Asegarce’s young charge Urrutikoetxea is known for his fighting qualities, and he took the game to the more fancied Retegi Bi in some well contested rallies. However, the Aspe player showed the greater imagination, and proved the better able to deal with the pressure, moving relatively easily into the quarter finals, where he meets Xala.

BENGOETXEA VI beat ARITZ LASA 22-10 (Sunday 1st May, Eibar)This match was a harder fight than the scoreline might indicate. The first part of the encounter saw Lasa holding on gamely to Bengoetxea’s onslaught, but the latter showed himself to be in a different class thereafter, moving unimpeded from 9-8 to 17-8. There was no way back for the underdog, but he gave his many fans, who had made the trip from his home town of Urretxu, much to cheer about with his refusal to throw in the towel.

The quarter final line up now looks like this: OLAIZOLA I v IDOATE (Saturday 7^th May, Pamplona), XALA v RETEGI BI (Sunday 8^th May, Eibar), PATXI RUIZ v BENGOETXEA VI (Sunday 15^th May, TBC), MARTINEZ DE IRUJO v OLAIZOLA II (Sunday 15^th May, TBC).

In the Promocion Championship, JAUNARENA beat LADIS GALARZA 22-18, and OLAETXEA beat LEIZA 22-2. ARGOTE  proceeds by default following an injury to OLAZABAL. PENAGARIKANO and RICO IV play today in Legazpi.

Image from Noticias de Navarra

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Saturday 26th March, Pamplona

OLAIZOLA II – BEGINO beat GONZALEZ – LASKURAIN 22-19

Aimar Olaizola and Aritz Begino can breathe a sigh of relief, after remaining in the competition by the skin of their teeth. Defeat here would have meant almost certain elimination, and while they would have liked a greater points difference to aid their way to the final, they will take what they got have grateful hearts, for Gonzalez and Laskurain should have won this match. Olaizola and Begino knew the gravity of this encounter, and perhaps as a result of this, were inconsistent and tight in their play, even Olaizola, known for being cold and calculating of nature on the fronton. The Goizuetarra made an uncharacteristic number of errors, five in all, but his ten winners saved his skin in the end. Laskurain did not have to work hard to put Begino under pressure, making him look decidedly uncomfortable as time and again he was forced to extricate the ball from the left hand wall.

Gonzalez and Laskurain maintained an advantage for the majority of the match, and although their gap over their rivals was never large, it seemed increasingly unbridgeable. Initially they went down 0-4, and all appeared rosy in the Asegarce garden, but as the tension crept in, they stormed ahead, 9-5 and 12-8. Their rivals doggedly closed the gap to a point at 14-15 however, and from there on, finally found their game. Aimar’s pace began to make Gonzalez suffer, and Begino rediscovered the strong, metronomic striking style to which we have become accustomed. 14-16 became 19-16. Controversy was to follow, which threatened to derail the Asegarce revival, when Aimar disputed a call from a judge. When his claim was rejected, Gonzalez and Laskurain were back in it, at 18-19. However, with their eyes on the prize, Olaizola and Begino would not be denied, and they held on to win by two points.

Victory for the pre-match favourites was justified, just about. They wobbled in the early exchanges, but like all great players, pulled through when the going got tough. There are still gargantuan challenges ahead though, as they must beat Xala and Barriola next weekend, or hope that Gonzalez and Laskruain beat Irujo and Merino II, in which case it would come down to points difference.

Scoring sequence: 4-0, 4-5, 5-5, 5-9, 8-9, 8-12, 9-12, 9-13, 11-3, 11-14, 12-14, 12-15, 14-15, 14-16, 19-16, 19-18, 21-18, 21-19, 22-19.

Service winners: Olaizola 2, Gonzalez 2

Service faults: Olaizola 0, Gonzalez 1

Winners: Olaizola 10, Begino 3, Gonzalez 4, Laskurain 2

Errors: Olaizola 5, Begino 4, Gonzalez 4, Laskurain 2

Match time: 69:47 with 29:32 actual playing time.

Olaizola II came good when the heat was on

Image from El Correo, source Diario Vasco

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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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After eleven enthralling weeks, we now know the line up for the semi finals in the Pairs Championship. Heading the standings are Xala and Barriola, the long time favourites who only briefly ceded superiority to Olaizola II and Begino in the battle to top the table. With nine wins out of eleven, and a positive points difference of 83, they deserve their favouritism. Everything about their partnership seems right, from the calm brutality of Xala to the metronomic long range striking of Barriola, and it will take much to shatter their ice cool facade.

Olaizola II and Begino qualify in second, as the sole Asegarce representatives in the last four. They began the competition like a proverbial train, chalking up six straight wins, including a narrow defeat of Xala and Barriola, before things went somewhat awry. No matter though, for they never looked in danger of elimination thanks to their points difference, and an easy win this weekend made sure of their progress. While less consistent than Xala and Barriola, they bring class in abundance, especially in the form of Olaizola, who when on song can pulverise anyone who dares to take him on.

Behind the two more obvious semi finalists come two pairs who have had to fight tooth and nail for their positions. Gonzalez and Laskurain, who lost in the final last year to Xala and Zubieta, took their time to find their feet in 2011, surprisingly given their track record and knowledge of each other. In the end though, they glided into the semi finals almost unnoticed, causing few ripples along the way. They look to be coming to the boil when it matters, and with their grim determination to succeed, cannot be ignored.

Martinez de Irujo and Merino II had a torrid start to the competition, clearly failing to gel as a pair. In fact, Merino looked infinitely better when paired with Aritz Lasa during Irujo’s injury break. However, Aspe’s experiment of youth and experience, devised after Aitor Zubieta’s pre-Christmas injury, eventually paid off and they round out the last four, thanks to Bengoetxea and Albisu’s inability to score ten points against Xala and Barriola. No pair featuring Irujo can be ruled out, and Merino, though young, is a special talent.

The semi finals begin on Sunday 20^th, when all four pairs will be in action. Fixtures will follow when they are confirmed.

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Friday 11^th March, Mutilva

MARTINEZ DE IRUJO  – MERINO II beat ARRETXE II – IBAI ZABALA 22-21

Juan Martinez de Irujo and David Merino needed to win in Mutilva on Friday to have any hope of making the last four, and they scraped through against the substitutes, Iker Arretxe and Ibai Zabala, who squandered two match points. Arretxe threw all caution to the wind and well and truly took the game to Irujo, who was not on his best form, finishing with seven errors to his rival’s one. Irujo and Merino kept their noses in front for the first portion of the match, largely thanks to Merino’s mastery of Ibai Zabala, but they increasingly found themselves behind, and it seemed as if an upset was on the cards. However, they found their nerve when it mattered most and could breathe again; a loss by 13 points for Bengoetxea and Patxi Ruiz’ replacement Jon Ander Albisu would out them through.

Saturday 12^th March, Pamplona

OLAIZOLA II – BEGINO beat TITIN III – PASCUAL 22-11

Aimar Olaizola and Aritz Begino had been on the cusp of the semi finals for four weeks, but the elusive seventh victory escaped them until Sunday. With their comprehensive defeat of Titin and Pascual they ended their run of indifferent form and ensured qualification in second place behind Xala and Barriola. Titin and Pascual began the better, opening up a 5-0 lead, but once the Asegarce pair hit their stride, there was no stopping them. They closed to 9-10 thanks largely to the play of Begino, who thrilled the crowd with two robotes and left an out of sorts Pascual reeling. He supported Olaizola excellently, and the Goizuetarra hit eleven winners in all, easily outclassing Titin for pace and guile.

Saturday 12^th March, Gernika

GONZALEZ – LASKURAIN beat SARALEGI – APRAIZ 22-15

Sebastien Gonzalez and Aritz Laskurain put their slow start in the championship behind them when they made certain of their place in the semi finals, defeating Ekaitz Saralegi (replacing Pablo Berasaluze) and Alexis Apraiz on Saturday. Until the mid point, the game was evenly balanced, and was notable for some superb attacking play from Saralegi. However, the wheels fell off for the Asegarce combination as their opponents raced unopposed to 18-11. Although they managed four more points, in fits and starts, there was no way back, and class told.

Gonzalez, along with partner Laskurain, is through

Image from: Noticias de Navarra

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Friday 4^th March, Amorebieta

TITIN III – BEROIZ* beat ARRETXE II – IBAI ZABALA 22-6

Mikel Beroiz stood in for Inigo Pascual on Friday, and helped Titin to an extremely valuable win over another pair of substitutes, Iker Arretxe and Ibai Zabala, who have no hope of making the last four. The Aspe pair looked like an established partnership, and moved with unity of purpose towards an easy win, in which they were never remotely troubled. Both players were leagues ahead of their opponents, who proved unable to exert any pressure at all. As a contest, this was a non-event, but many aficionados surely revelled in an excellent and cool display of pelota from the victors. Titin and Pascual now lie in fifth, one place out of the qualifying spots, but they are level on points Gonzalez and Laskurain one place above them, so everything is to play for.

Scoring sequence: 4-0 / 4-1 / 10-1 / 10-2 / 15-2 / 18-3 / 18-4 / 20-4 / 20-6 / 22-6

Sunday 6^th March, Eibar

BENGOETXEA VI – PATXI RUIZ beat GONZALEZ – LASKURAIN 22-18

This was always likely to be a closely fought game, given the similarity in fortunes of these two pairs in the championship thus far, and so it proved as the advantage swung back and forth throughout. Gonzalez and Laskurain held sway early on, but Oinatz Bengoetxea was instrumental in the Asegarce duo’s resurgence in the second half of the match, as he turned the tables on Gonzalez in expert fashion. He finished with a whopping fifteen winners. The defenders were evenly matched; Laskurain played a more involved part in the game, but Ruiz was excellent when called upon. The winners now sit third, level on points with Olaizola II and Begino in second. Gonzalez and Laskurain are a further point back in fourth.

Scoring sequence: 0-3 / 1-3 / 2-3 / 2-5 / 5 / 9-5 / 9-7 / 10-7 / 10 / 11 / 14-11 / 14 / 14-16 / 16 / 16 – 21 / 18-21 / 18-22

Monday 7th March, Tolosa

XALA – ZABALETA beat OLAIZOLA II – BEGINO 22-21

Tolosa witnessed the shock of the week.  Had Xala lined up with his normal partner, Barriola, they would have been the favourites, but with Barriola injured, the young and inexperienced Zabaleta stepped in. Aspe clearly wanted to give him a test, safe in the knowledge that the star pair had qualified anyway, and he did not disappoint, helping to condemn the former leaders, now in second to a fourth straight defeat. It took Zabaleta a while to settle, but once he did, there was little stopping his pair. Xala was majesterial form, putting thirteen Winters past his opponents. With Barriola back and healthy, it will take much to stop this pair. Despite their recent meltdown, Olaizola and Begino still sit second, thanks to their six straight wins at the start of the tournament. The odds are that they will be safe.

Scoring sequence: 0-1/1/3-1/3-2/6-3/8-4/10-5/15-11/18-14/18/19/20/21-20/21/21- 22

Tuesday 8th March, Tolosa

BERASALUZE VIII – APRAIZ beat MARTINEZ DE IRUJO – MERINO II 22-18

Pablo Berasaluze and Alexis Apraiz will struggle to make the semi finals, but this victory has at least given them the chance. The red pair of Juan Martinez de Irujo and David Merino looked the better almost throughout thanks to the play of Irujo and the hesitancy of Apraiz. However, at 15-18 down, Berasaluze took the game into his hands, unleashing a barrage of left handed hooks to condemn Irujo to a bit part. The blues scored seven points unanswered to take the tie and keep their hopes alive, though they lie second from bottom. Irujo and Merino are one place, and one point, above in sixth.

Scoring sequence: 0-2/4-2/4-3/6-3/6/10-6/10-11/15-11/15-12/17-12/17-15/18-15/18-22

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Friday 25th February, Azkaine

GONZALEZ – LASKURAIN beat ARRETXE II – IBAI ZABALA 22-19

Gonzalez and Laskruain were the overwhelming favourites for this game, which took place in front of a crowd of 700 in the former’s backyard. However, Iker Arretxe and Ibai Zabala caused them no end of worry, and pushed them all the way to the line, maintaining stalemate at 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17 and 18, before finally succumbing to the cool heads of their more seasoned rivals, after a whopping 1030 balls. Arretxe was the player of the match, resourceful and successful in attack, as the underdogs threw caution to the wind; as substitutes for Olaizola I and Beloki they had little to lose, and a gilt edged opportunity to make a name for themselves. In the end though, Gonzalez and Laskurain joined the group of five vying for the remaining three qualifying spots behind Xala and Barriola.

Scoring sequence: 0-1/1/4-1/4/4-6/6/9-6/10-7/10/11/12/14-12/14/14-16/16/17/18/20-18/20-19/22-19

Duration 106 minutes, with 53 minutes of playing time and 1030 balls struck

Sunday 27th February, Logrono

BENGOETXEA VI – PATXI RUIZ beat TITIN III – PASCUAL 22-19

This was as close as it gets to a crunch game: both pairs needed a victory to avoid the predicament of having to win both of their remaining matches to qualify. In a tense affair, full of emotion, it was the Asegarce pair who prevailed. Bengoetxea and Ruiz kept their noses in front for most of the match; they led 5-0, before their opponents came back and took over by eight points to five, but once they regained the lead, they never let it go. The Aspe duo gave the Titin tifosi something to cheer about when they came to within one point of parity at 19-20, but they lacked the killer punch of their opponents. All played with skill and passion, but Patxi Ruiz’ was the standout performance. Asegarce will no doubt be delighted that he controlled the game as he did, with no hint of discomfort from his lately rather troublesome hands.

Scoring sequence: 0-5 / 5 / 5-7 / 7 / 8 / 8-6 / 9-10 / 9-11 / 10-12 / 12 / 12-14 / 12-13 / 13-17 / 15-17 / 16-19 / 17-19 / 18-20 / 19-20 / 19-22

Duration 81 minutes, with 30 minutes of playing time, and 671 balls struck.

Iker Arretxe almost engineered an upset

Image from Deia, by Iban Aguinaga

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Apologies once again this week for the lack of in depth reporting; I was in Manchester all weekend at the track cycling World Cup, so rather too busy with other things to watch any pelota! However, here is the first of two instalments in my round up of the Pairs action from this rotation.

Friday 18^th February, Zestoa

GONZALEZ – LASKURAIN beat OLAIZOLA II – BEGINO 22-10

We begin in Zestoa, which witnessed the shock of the week. Aimar Olaizola and Aritz Begino suffered their first lost of the competition the previous weekend, and here it became two in a row as they were taken apart by Sebastien Gonzalez and Aritz Laskurain. Their previous loss was a close one, but this was far more worrying for the former table toppers, who are now usurped by Xala and Barriola by virtue of points difference, both having played eight and won six. Gonzalez and Laskurain are very much on the up, having now won four matches in a row. They sit third in the table, at the head of the group of four pairs on four wins from eight. The Aspe partnership dominated the game, with Laskurain the pick of the bunch, improving his performance beyond recognition from past weeks. Neither Asegarce player had their best day to put it mildly, but Begino was especially ill at ease, conceding six errors. Gonzalez was at his potent best, chalking up three aces, and eight winners in open play, alongside only one error.

Scoring sequence: 0-4 / 1-4 / 1-6 / 2-6 / 3-6 / 3-10 / 4-10 / 5-10 / 5-16 / 6-16 / 7-16 / 7-18 / 8-18 / 8-19 / 9-19 / 10-19 / 10-22.

Match time was 48 minutes, with 19 minutes of playing time. 366 balls were hit.

Sunday 20th February, Logrono

TITIN III – PASCUAL beat BERASALUZE VIII – APRAIZ 22-11

Pablo Berasaluze and Alexis Apraiz dealt their chances of qualification a severe blow down in Rioja on Sunday, by mailing to beat local hero Titin and his partner Inigo Pascual at Adarraga. Their loss means that they slip out of the mid table group of pairs who are tied on points for the third to sixth spots, and languish only one off the foot of the table. Titin and Pascual now sit fifth, and are very much in the hunt for qualification. The Aspe pair were by far the better in this tie, with the greatest disparity in quality coming at the back, where Apraiz could make no inroads into the dominance of Pascual. Pascual provided the perfect attacking platform for Titin, who was rarely troubled and largely kept Berasaluze locked out of the match. His twelve winners to Pablo’s five demonstrated the greater attacking potency of the winning pair,

Scoring sequence: 2-0 / 2-1 / 9-1 / 9-2 / 9-5 / 10-5 / 12-5 / 12-6 / 12-7 / 16-7 / 16-8 / 17-8 / 17-9 / 18-10 / 22-11

Match time was 49 minutes, with 17 minutes of playing time.

Gonzalez and Laskurain are on a roll

Image from: Manista, by Carlos Zuluaga

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