Basque pelota blog in english – Dos paredes

Saturday 18^th February, Pamplona: XALA-LASKURAIN beat GONZALEZ*-BARRIOLA 22-13

Sebastien Gonzalez entered the fray at Labrit on Saturday thanks to Juan Martinez de Irujo contracting mumps, an ailment which will also keep him out of the showdown with Olaizola II and Beroiz this coming weekend. Gonzalez, to his credit, acquitted himself extremely well, perhaps in an effort to prove that he should have been in the tournament in the first place, producing a tally of ten winners. However, he was up against a Xala in inspired form. His fellow French Basque hit thirteen winners to only one error, and together with the impressive solidity of Laskurain this was more than enough to get them over the line for their fourth win. Barriola, although on paper reliable, was pressured by Laskurain and ultimately outplayed. Irujo and Barriola appeared dead certs to make the semi finals in the first few rotations, but now they will have to watch their backs; they are still second but are level on points with three other pairs, including Xala and Laskurain.

Scoring sequence: 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 2-4, 4-4, 4-6, 7-6, 7-7, 12-7, 12-10, 16-10, 16-13, 22-13

Winners/errors: Xala 13/3, Gonzalez 10/5, Laskurain 1/1, Barriola 0/2

Aritz Laskurain played an excellent match

Monday 20^th February, Tolosa: ARITZ LASA-PENAGARIKANO* beat TITIN III-MERINO II 22-15

Monday’s match in Tolosa also featured an injury substitution, with Kepa Penagarikano coming in for Aitor Zubieta, the state of whose hands force him to take a break. Penagarikano, though without the reputation of the former champion, filled his shoes admirably and outplayed David Merino who was unable to overcome his stranglehold. At the front, Aritz Lasa started slowly, allowing the Riojans to take the early lead, but as the game progressed his confidence rocketed. He showed Titin little respect and stuck to his own game with some resolve. Once their lead had been established at 10-6, there was no looking back for the underdogs who played on a different level from their opponents. This win was essential and they will need more in order to stand any chance of progressing. With Zubieta out for another two weeks at least, Aspe will hope that Penagarikano can hold his form and Lasa maintain the consistency he has at times so badly lacked. The victors remain seventh, while Titin and Merino slip one place to fourth.

Scoring sequence: 3-0, 3-2, 4-2, 4-3, 5-3, 5-5, 6-6, 6-10, 6-14, 12-16, 12-17, 13-17, 13-21, 15-21, 15-22.

Tuesday 21^st February, Tolosa: OLAIZOLA II-BEROIZ beat ARRETXE II-BEGINO 22-11

There was no surprise whatsoever in this result, apart perhaps from the fact that Iker Arretxe and Aritz Begino scored as many points as they did. That they were still in the match at 10-13 was down largely to the play of Begino, but once Aimar Olaizola nudged up a gear, the table’s bottom pair had no answer. The star forward was the player of the match, and with the metronomic support of Beroiz, barely had to extend himself. Nine wins from Nine means that Olaizola and Beroiz are assured of a place in the last four. Whoever joins them will have to think long and hard about how they can be undone.

Scoring sequence: 5-0, 8-2, 12-5, 12-9, 13-10, 19-10, 22-11.

This week’s results mean that the table, with five rounds to go, looks like this:

1 OLAIZOLA II – BEROIZ    9   9   +97
2 MTZ de IRUJO – BARRIOLA   9   5   +25
3 XALA – LASKURAIN      9   5   +13
4 TITIN III – MERINO II     9   5    +8
5 BENGOETXEA VI – APRAIZ   9   5   -4
6 BERASALUZE VIII – ALBISU   9   4    +7
7 ARITZ LASA – ZUBIETA   9   3     -31
8 ARRETXE II – BEGINO    9   0   -114

Photo: mine

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Friday 10^th February, Urretxu

XALA – LASKURAIN beat ARITZ LASA – ZUBIETA 22-18

Pairs Championship

Aitor Zubieta spoke in the week of this game as a life or death encounter. He and Aritz Lasa, with two wins to their name, sat second from bottom in the table and points needed to come quickly in order to maintain any hope of qualifying for the last four. They had already beaten Xala and Laskurain, in their first match in the championship, and went to Lasa’s hometown of Urretxu with the confidence that they could strike again. However, despite a brave attempt to come from behind at the death, Xala and Laskurain had just a little bit more and Lasa and Zubieta are on the ropes. If they are to stand any chance, Lasa will have to do the job without Zubieta for the next few weeks; the defender has been ruled out with the hand problems which had plagued him throughout the championship and did so again here. For the victors, things are now looking a little more promising, and while they are still a long way off qualification, they can dare to dream.

Xala and Laskurain took the first two points, but Lasa and Zubieta gained the early advantage as they went ahead through an error apiece from the reds and two very well worked winners from Lasa. The signs looked promising; Lasa and Zubieta came out of the starting gate with pace, confidence and invention. However, this was to be the only time they led in the match. Their over ambition was perhaps the cause of their undoing in the next two points and having drawn level, the red pair kept going, building a 9-4 lead. Xala purred into form in this passage, nailing Lasa out wide , hitting a winning serve and finding an incredible angle for a dos paredes in answer to the same shot from his opposite number. He appeared calm personified in contrast to the local player, who demonstrated a will to seize points with both hands but too often rushed into shots and blew his chances. They maintained their gap and stretched it to six at 13-7, capitalising on three errors from Zubieta who after a solid and potent start, was starting to look troubled. Four points in a row from the blues, involving three errors from the leaders, two of which were largely unforced, put them back in touch at 11-13, but Zubieta was forced from the fronton for a medical timeout, lasting eight minutes.

When he returned, Xala was in no mood to be gentle, grabbing the five point lead back again almost singlehandedly, pushing a hapless Lasa around the fronton for three varied winners. 16-11 became 18-13 as Lasa and Zubieta undid the hard work of two points gained with two points thrown away. At 14-20, they looked dead in the water, but Lasa refused to die. A txoko and a service winner reduced the deficit by two and when Xala hit low, the door of opportunity opened a fraction. Lasa, all determination and fight, squeezed through the gap with a long, unreturnable serve and all of sudden they were firmly in touch. However, as he is wont to do, Lasa threw away his position of strength; a gantxo almost won him the next point and when Xala desperately pulled the return back in, all he had to do was tap a simple txoko to make it 19-20. He missed it, and instead of serving for parity found himself facing a match point. Another error, a ball hit wide, handed the game to Xala and Laskurain.

At the mid point, few can have predicted that the often frustratingly inconsistent Lasa and the ailing Zubieta would have made a game of it. Despite trailing almost throughout, they never gave up and pushed Xala and Laskurain all the way to the line. Taking the match as a whole, the eventual winners were clearly the better team, controlling the fronton with more ease and taking advantage of the chances they had. They will proceed to the next rotation with relief while Lasa sweats on the health of his partner and the daunting task ahead.

Scoring sequence: 2-0, 2-4, 9-4, 9-5, 11-5, 11-6, 12-6, 12-7, 13-7, 13-11, 16-11, 16-12, 18-12, 18-13, 18-14, 20-14, 20-18, 22-18.

Winners/errors: Xala 10/4, Lasa 10/6, Laskurain 0/4, Zubieta 0/6

Match time: 1:17.34 with 31.56 of actual playing time

Balls hit: 632

Zubieta and Lasa face a near impossible task

Image: mine

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Sunday 5^th February, Gernika

XALA – LASKURAIN beat BENGOETXEA VI – APRAIZ 22-12

The stage was set fair for Oinatz Bengoetxea and Alexis Apraiz to continue where they left off in beating Irujo and Barriola the previous week. They seemed very much a pair on the up, growing in confidence after a brace of disappointing losses and although the same could be said of Xala and Laskurain, the game promised to be fascinating and closely matched. They also had hometown advantage of a sort, for Apraiz is a native of Gernika. However, further proof of their clear potential failed to materialise, as Xala and Laskurain never looked in the remotest of trouble. Xala alone was the difference; neither defender had a great game and Bengoetxea, the bane of Irujo, was totally out of sorts.

Right from the start, the red pair put their best feet forwards, winning the first three points through a mixture of Xala’s skill and Bengoetxea’s carelessness. The blues picked up their early points thanks to Laskurain’s errors but these were not numerous enough to prevent Xala propelling his pair to an 11-3 lead. He hit some searing winners in this passage, notably his gantxos on 4-2 and 10-3 which Bengoetxea appeared barely to see and he moved his opponents into positions of weakness with minimal effort. On 5-2, his placement succeeded in getting both blues out of position, which led to a miscue from a flummoxed Apraiz. He also put telling pressure on Apraiz, something which Bengoetxea largely failed to do to Laskurain. Apraiz’s error on 8-2was borne of Xala’s persistence and also Bengoetxea’s total inability to get anything past his opposite number, despite trying visibly with all his might.

Xala, potent force though he was, was not immune to errors and lapses on 11-3 and 11-6 gave Bengoetxea and Apraiz fleeting hope of a comeback. They came within four points at 13-9, in the one period of play where Bengoetxea really showed his considerable talents. On 13-7 he bombed Laskurain until he blew it and in the next point, he brilliantly pulled off a txoko winner after being forced right to the back by Xala. However, any window of opportunity was dispelled by Apraiz, who made two errors in the next three points. These, along with another fabulous crosscourt winner from Xala, restored the red advantage to seven points. The one moment of drama occurred at this juncture when Laskurain accidentally struck his partner in the head. The injury was clearly not as serious as that to Arretxe II who was recently hurt in similar circumstances, but as he left for treatment, Bengoetxea and Apraiz must have wondered fleetingly whether the misfortune of their nemesis had handed them an unlikely escape. Happily for Xala though, he returned seemingly unharmed and carried on where he left off. Two wayward hits from Laskurain were an irrelevance in the final analysis, as Xala overcame his nasty shock and a partner not entirely on top of his game, to seize the victory with a service winner.

Sunday’s result means that both pairs now sit on three points, just below the qualification spots, with Xala and Laskurain 5^th and Bengoetxea and Apraiz 6^th. Two pairs sit one point ahead of them and are very much there to be shot at; while Olaizola II and Beroiz appear unassailable at the top and Arretxe and Begino rooted firmly to the bottom, the fight for the other semi final berths is close. With seven rounds to go, both victors and vanquished in this particular skirmish are still firmly in the war.

Scoring sequence: 3-0, 3-1, 3-2, 4-2, 9-2, 9-3, 11-3, 11-4, 11-7, 13-7, 13-9, 16-9, 16-10, 17-10, 20-10, 20-12, 22-12.

Winners/errors: Xala 11/3, Bengoetxea 2/4, Laskurain 0/6, Apraiz 1/7

Match time: 103.22 with 26.36 on actual play

Balls hit: 534

The last laugh went to the Manomanista Champion

(Photo: mine)

The overall standings are now as follows:

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Friday 20^th January, Azpeitia

XALA – LASKURAIN beat SARALEGI – BEGINO 22-6

While Xala and Laskurain continue to improve week to week, matters for Arretxe and Begino get worse. Arretxe’s injury in the previous game meant a match forfeited and his replacement, Saralegi, proved unable to do anything to inspire Begino to the heights of which we know he is capabale. This was an annihilation, in which Xala hit with abandon on his way to eleven winners while the replacement forward appeared totally at a loss. Laskurain was far more potent than Begino and absolutely dominant at the back. It is hard to see where the bottom pair can go from here.

Saturday 21^st January, Logrono

TITIN III – MERINO II beat BENGOETXEA VI – APRAIZ 22-14

This was a surprisingly easy win for the home favourites at Adarraga. Titin and Merino’s advantage was comfortable throughout the game but for a small moment of worry at 13-11, with Merino the standout performer, putting immense pressure on Benogetxea who was never able to break free. Titin followed not far behind his apprentice in the quality stakes, making great use of the gantxo. Apraiz gave him far too much room to work with and he accepted every invitation.

Scoring sequence: 2-0, 2-1, 7-1, 7-2, 9-2, 9-5, 12-5, 12-8, 13-8, 13-11, 17-11, 17-13, 20-13, 20-14, 22-14

Monday 23^rd January, Tolosa

BERASALUZE VIII – ALBISU beat ARITZ LASA – ZUBIETA 22-17

This was an improvement on the previous week for Lasa and Zubieta, who led for a significant proportion of the match before being outdone at the death by the pair who are proving to be the best of the rest after the clear top two. Berasaluze proved the main instigator in the latter part of the game, where his determination and venom wrestled the initiative from the Aspe pair. Albisu, the young tournament debutante, appeared as comfortable as a veteran, supporting his more experienced partner with a calm grace.

Promocion Championship results were as follows: Olazabal-Larrinaga beat Rico IV-Mendizabal II* 22-18, Gorka-Arruti beat Olaetxea*-Aretxabaleta 22-21, Jaunarena-Merino beat Urrutikoetxea-Otxandorena* 22-10, Tainta-Argote beat Mendizabal III-Ladis Galarza 22-11.

A good week for Pablo Berasaluze

Image: mine

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Friday 13^th January, Larrainzar

MATCH ABANDONED for injury to Arretxe II, resulting in heavy ‘win’ for Berasaluze VIII and Albisu

Iker Arretxe and Aritz Begino were already the underdogs here, and the match had barely started before disaster struck. A searing strike from Jon Ander Albisu struck Arretxe in the head. He was forced to leave the fronton in considerable pain and was transferred to Pamplona by ambulance. After staying in overnight for observation, he was released with no lasting damage or complications and is now on the road to recovery, hoping to play this weekend. While Arretxe’s health must obviously be the main consideration here, this stroke of bad luck is a near disaster for he and Begino, who have yet to win a match and now have an effective 1-22 ‘loss’ against their names.

Saturday 14^th January, Pamplona

Business as usual for Olaizola II and Beroiz at Labrit

Favourites Aimar Olaizola and Mikel Beroiz wasted no time at all in crushing the dangerous pairing of Oinatz Bengoetxea and Alexis Apraiz 22-9. Olaizola was in imperious form, hitting home 12 winners and pulling off some impressive volleys to which Bengoetxea had no reply. Beroiz played with steady assurance, providing an outstanding platform. The favourites went up 13-0 initially and were never troubled, in a game which lasted 48 minutes and took 482 strikes of the ball. This was their fourth win in a row and they remain unbeaten. The vanquished pair have two wins and two losses.

Scoring sequence: 13-1, 14-2, 15-3, 16-4, 18-5, 19-8, 20-9, 22-9

Winners/errors: Olaizola 12/3, Beroiz 1/1, Bengoetxea 5/6, Apraiz 0/3

Sunday 15th January, Logrono

Xala and Laskurain open their account at fortress Rioja

Yves Salaberry and Aritz Laskurain had endured a surprisingly bad opening to the championship and needed a result against the home favourites at Adarraga. At first, things seemed to be going against them yet again as they ceded a 105 lead, but in the end pressure told. They played excellently as a team, taking advantage of a slight off day for Titin and Merino II who try as they might could not keep their noses in front. The Riojans have lost on three occasions now and will be looking to improve. For Xala and Laskurain this is an assured step in the right direction but it is they who have the more work to do.

Scoring sequence: 0-3, 1-3, 1-5, 9-5, 9-6, 10-6, 10-7, 14-7, 14-8, 15-8, 15-9, 15-10, 18-10, 18-13, 20-13, 20-15, 21-15, 21-16, 22-16

Winners/errors: Xala 10/3, Laskurain 2/1, Titin 8/6, Merino 3/3

Wednesday 18^th January, Mungia 

Martinez de Irujo and Barriola show their class

Juan Martinez de Irujo and Abel Barriola showed no mercy in taking Aritz Lasa and Aitor Zubieta apart on Wednesday, cruising to a 22-7 win. Irujo had no problem at all in controlling the front of the court, leaving a hapless Lasa chasing for scraps. The man from Gipuzkoa was utterly outclassed. Barriola continued to be solidity personified at the back, making only one error to Zubieta’s four, although Zubieta’s cause in defence was hardly helped by the vapidity of his partner. Things have gone steadily downhill for Lasa and Zubieta after their excellent opening win over Xala and Laskurain; they must believe that they can rise to these heights again. For their opponents it was business as usual, but they will undergo a sterner test this weekend against Olaizola II and Beroiz.

Scoring sequence: 6-0, 8-1, 16-2, 16-4, 17-4, 17-5, 17-7, 22-7

In the Promocion Championship, RICO IV – UNTORIA beat LEMUNO – ARRETXABALETA 22-14, GORKA – PENAGRIKANO beat JAUNARENA – CECILIO 22-12, OLAZABAL – LARRINAGA beat MENDIZABAL III – LADIS GALARZA 22-17 and URRUTIKOETXEA – IZA beat TAINTA – ARGOTE 22-20.

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Monday 19th December, Tolosa

 

ARITZ LASA – ZUBIETA beat XALA – LASKURAIN 22-12

 

Extra interest in this match was added by the polemic which has surrounded Gonzalez’s non-selection in the past few days. Gonzalez yesterday apologised at an extremely earnest press conference for his tirade, in which he questioned the selection of Aritz Lasa and accused his bosses of using non-sporting criteria in a decision which smacked of favouritism. If Gonzalez hoped justification for his rage would come as a result of this match he must have been sorely disappointed, as Lasa had the measure of Xala, the Manomanista Champion and looked every inch at home in the exalted company of the elite pairs competition. The first half of the match was close with the couples tied at 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9, but from 10-11 the supposed underdogs played like anything but. Xala had extreme difficulty in moving the balls chosen by Lasa and Zubieta and grew more and more frustrated at his ability to break free. His fury flowed over at 10-14 when Lasa appeared marginally to block his path. When his protestations to the referee failed he threw his chair three rows back into the crowd in a fit of emotion all the more shocking for coming from a player who is usually so collected. Despite Xala’s meltdown however, the real difference between the pairs came in the back division, where 2010 champion Zubieta was solid as a rock and worked expertly with his partner to put Laskurain under pressure he proved unable to bear. It is early days in the competition, but Lasa and Zubieta have proved in no uncertain terms that they are a force to be reckoned with.

Scoring sequence: 0-1, 1-1, 1-2, 2-2, 4-2, 4-4, 4-6, 6-6, 7-6, 7-7, 8-7, 8-8, 9-8, 9-9, 9-11, 10-11, 10-14, 11-14, 11-20, 12-20, 12-22
Service winners/errors: Xala 2/2, Aritz Lasa 3/0
Winners/errors: Xala 5/2, Laskurain 1/6, Aritz Lasa 7/2, Zubieta 2/2
Match time: 60:10.30
Balls hit: 584

 

 

Lasa and Zubieta won at a canter

 

Photo: mine

 

 

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Bilbao’s inaugural summer tournament, the Torneo Aste Nagusia, is taking place this week at Bizkaia. The first semi final was held on Wednesday, and saw a 22-19 victory for TITIN III – MERINO II over OLAIZOLA II – BEROIZ. It was a tough match, lasting well over an hour and involving 810 strikes of the ball, but the closeness of the final scoreline belies the reasonable ease with which the Aspe partnership triumphed. They lost the first point but after that were never headed, despite being held to 4-4 and 9-9. They opened up a gap with the finish line in sight, leading 17-12 and 19-14. Olaizola and Beroiz, still inexperienced as a pairing, pulled themselves back into it at 19-19, but lost the next three points to cede the match. The losers played well in spurts but neither had their best day, while Merino in particular played excellently.

Scoring sequence:  0-1/ 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 6-4/ 6-5/ 8-5/ 8-7/ 9-7/ 9/ 10-9/ 11-10/ 11/ 12/ 17-12/ 17-14/ 19-14/ 19/ 22-19

Last night, Titin and Merino II learnt the identity of their final opponents, as BERASALUZE VIII – BEGINO beat MARTINEZ DE IRUJO – LASKURAIN 22-14. The game was intense, but the Asegarce pair won with some confort. They were tracked closely by their opponents in the early part of the match, but from 8-8 onwards Berasaluze opened his shoulders, dominating Irujo on his way to ten winners in the match. Irujo gave him far too many gifts and his adversary had the form to capitalise. The final will be held tomorrow.

Scoring sequence: 3-0/ 3-1/ 4-1/ 4-2/ 5-2/ 5-4/ 7-4/ 7-6/ 8/ 13-8/ 13-11/ 15-11/ 15-12/ 17-12/ 17-13/ 18-14/ 22-14

Pablo Berasaluze, flying high

Source: Aspe, image from reta

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Tuesday 23^rd August, San Sebastian

MARTINEZ DE IRUJO – ZUBIETA beat XALA – LASKURAIN 22-19

The final of the Torneo Ciudad de San Sebastian was a strange match, exciting not for its quality but for its unpredictability and its closeness. Both forwards hit winners aplenty, many of them stunningly executed, but also made myriad mistakes. There was little to choose between them at the end of the match, and it was the defenders, while less noticeable, who held the key to the fortunes of the opposing sides. Both Irujo and Zubieta began shakily, but Irujo’s recovery came concurrently with the return of Zubieta’s poise. The man from Etxarri-Aranatz, playing without a knee brace for the first time since his operation, hit the heights as the match progressed, producing both the game plan and the execution to push his pair over the finish line. Laskurain, despite being marginally shaded here, was named man of the tournament, confirming the week as one in which the defenders truly shone.

The match started very evenly indeed, with each player showing both good and bad in turn. From 2-2 though, it was Xala and Laskurain who put their feet on the pedal, advancing to 10-5 which some calm, while Irujo increasingly lost the plot. His error on 2-3 resulted in him hurling the ball furiously at the frontis, sending officials ducking, and the mistakes kept coming, a low volley negating some excellent long returns from Zubieta, a failure to return an eminently reachable gantxo, a miscue down the wall and a wild cross court swipe leading to a five-point deficit. Zubieta also contributed to the rot by hitting high twice, and the red pair barely needed to extend themselves to maintain their margin.

However, the ride turned when Laskurain momentarily lost his touch and hit high. Irujo and Zubieta took four points in a row to close to 9-10, aided by two errors from Xala. Xala, clearly annoyed by his lapses, seized the initiative back with a devastating spell of three cross court winners. He then bombed Zubieta, who fell short with a long strike, and the five-point advantage was restored. But again Irujo and Zubieta came back, their latest recovery also kick started by an error from Laskurain. Irujo increasingly brought his trump cards to the table, aided by a partner in Zubieta who was starting to fire on all cylinders. His pressure led directly to errors from both his opponents, and he found ever more depth to force Laskurain onto the back foot. They drew level at 15-15 thanks to one such Laskurain failure, and when a txoko from Irujo put them ahead, Zubieta clapped vigorously, knowing the momentum was with them. Supported wonderfully from the back, Irujo produced a txoko and an inspired skimming dos paredes borne of pure reflex to give them a 15-19 advantage.

The next two points went to Xala and Laskurain, as Irujo proved with two errors that his conversion to form was not complete, the first throwing away a point in which Laskurain had been very much on the run. A service winner from Xala reduced the gap to one point at 19-18, but Zubieta unleashed a wonderful ball over his rival’s head, the icing on the cake of a mad scramble beneath the frontis from all parties. Xala was to have the final say in the match; he gave his pair some hope with a nonchalant cross court winner, on match point, but undid it with a wild and wide ball to give the match to the blues by a three point margin. A game shaped by errors ended most aptly.

Scoring sequence: 2-0, 2-2, 4-2, 4-3, 7-3, 7-4, 9-4, 9-5, 10-5, 10-9, 14-9, 14-11, 15-11, 15-19, 18-19, 18-21, 19-21, 19-22

Winners/errors: Irujo 7/8, Xala 7/6, Zubieta 2/3, Laskurain 0/5

Match time: 64:23

Balls hit: 515

The fully recovered Aitor Zubieta

Image from: Deia, by David de Haro

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Friday 19^th August, San Sebastian

XALA – LASKURAIN beat OLAIZOLA II – BEGINO 22-18

The first San Sebastian semi-final ended with a far tighter score line than might have been expected. Xala and Laskurain proceeded to today’s final at the expense of Olaizola II and Begino, but what had looked like an easy win was momentarily put in jeopardy by a comeback which almost gave the reigning Pairs Champions licence to dream. The early part of the game was close, with the pairs tied at 1-1, 2-2, 4-4, 5-5 and 6-6. Both forwards looked as if they were shaping up for an epic duel. Four of Olaizola and Begino’s six points in this spell came from the former’s brutal airez, which he seemed able to sling into open space at will. Xala replied to his virtuosity with some wonderful tactical play, showing himself capable of wrong footing Olaizola, and countered his opponent’s venom with some most improbable defensive efforts. Begino made a brace of errors and Laskurain one, but generally speaking, both defenders seemed the perfect foils for their attacking forwards.

However, Xala and Laskurain broke the deadlock. They edged ahead when Begino was rendered completely baffled by a ball he imagined Aimar would take. Xala’s two txoko winners, separated by a missed attempt at the same shot, gave them a 9-7 lead, and they added eight points without reply, sweeping to 17-7 and the brink of triumph. Xala was the main instigator of this run of points, drawing gasps from the crowd with the pace and precision of many of his winners, whether cross court or into the corner. However, the real difference here arguably lay with the defenders; as Laskurain grew in stature, continuing his scintillating form from Zarautz, Begino looked increasingly lacklustre and gave Aimar, who only committed his first error with the score at 7-16, little room for manoeuvre. With an attack dulled, and Xala seemingly able to retrieve anything, the game looked to be up.

The momentum of the pelota match can change dramatically with the serve, and the blue pair won it back with a cross court winner from Aimar which, for once, left Xala reeling. He took the next two points in addition, hitting to the corner with total command. It seemed as if the sun had finally begun to shine on the trailing pair when Begino finally found some magic and struck the rebote, much to Laskurain’s visible chagrin. 11-17 seemed a little healthier; another few points and the opening was there. However, the advantage was lost once again when Aimar rushed into a txoko and hit it low. His fury with himself was plain to see. Begino let the deficit out further with an inexplicable miscue, but they came back to within five with a deceptively easy swipe into a clear court from Aimar, another rebote from Begino and a rare error from Laskurain. A ball from Xala into Aiimar’s body and a slip from Begino gave the reds match point at 21-14, but still the blues fought, two Aimar winners and two Laskurain errors bringing the score to 21-18. However, the dream comeback was ended with a typically clinical airez from Xala.

Xala and Laskurain were the better pairing for the majority of the match, and made hay while Begino suffered a lengthy lapse. Xala barely put a foot wrong, hitting 12 winners to 2 errors. Aimar managed 10 winners to 2 errors, signalling a solid evening from the multi txapela winner, but one in which he failed to break through Xala’s excellent defences for sufficiently long periods. Laskurain, until the very end, played a solid and astute game, acting as a near perfect foil for Xala’s venom.

Scoring sequence: 0-1, 1-1, 1-2, 2-2, 2-4, 3-4, 5-4, 5-5, 6-5, 6-6, 8-6, 8-7, 17-7, 17-11, 19-11, 19-14, 21-14, 21-18, 22-18.

Winners/errors: Xala 12/2, Olaizola 10/2, Laskurain 3/4, Begino 2/5

Match time: 1:04.16, with 24:04 playing time

Balls hit: 488

The Manomanista Champion, Xala, is in excellent shape

Saturday 20^th August, San Sebastian

MARTINEZ DE IRUJO – ZUBIETA beat BENGOETXEA VI – BEROIZ 22-21

Irujo and Zubieta will join Xala and Laskurain in the final tonight, having beaten Bengoetxea and Beroiz by the narrowest possible margin on Saturday. The Asegarce pair was ahead for almost the entire tense encounter, though their lead never grew to more than four points. They were tracked closely by Irujo and Zubieta, who showed their nerve at the death, coming from 18-20 and saving a match point to draw level, before seizing the decider for a 22-21 win after 82 minutes and 609 strikes of the ball. The match was partially overshadowed by the consequences of moisture on the fronton, which made a noticeable difference to the stability and confidence of the players from 18-16 onwards. Atano II has suffered and overcome this problem in the past, and investigations will surely commence. Happily though, all four players emerged unscathed.

Scoring sequence: 2-1/ 5-1/ 5-2/ 5/ 7-5/ 7-6/ 8-6/ 8/ 9/ 10-9/ 13-9/ 13-10/ 14-11/ 15/ 17-15/ 17-16/ 18-16/ 18/ 20-18/ 20/ 20-21/ 21/ 21-22

Winners/errors: Bengoetxea 8/6, Irujo 8/4, Beroiz 0/6, Zubieta 1/5

Irujo will face Xala in the final

 Images from soloespolitica.com, Deia

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