Basque pelota blog in english – Dos paredes

Sunday 20th June, Vitoria-Gasteiz

MARTINEZ DE IRUJO beat XALA 22-13

The Manomanista Final is always an occasion and this edition proved no exception to the rule. A massive crowd turned out in the Basque capital Vitoria-Gasteiz to witness two pelotaris at the pinnacle of their sport fight it out for the greatest prize of them all, and they lifted the roof. A deafening roar greeted the protagonists, which gave way to chanting, singing, the playing of instruments and the waving of banners, one of which, bearing a huge image of Martinez de Irujo, measured several metres across. The spectacle began with a special presentation by Irujo to Basque mountaineer Edurne Pasaban, and once the heroine had been honoured, it was time to crown a hero.

The match began with Xala, perhaps the marginal underdog, on top. Before reigning champion Irujo had had time to draw breath, the man from Lekuine was 4-0 up and on cruise control. Irujo’s first error, in the very first point, suggested tension, as he hit a highly speculative cross court winner attempt well low. Xala’s impressive serve, the backbone of so much of his success in 2010, unfurled itself as he won the next point with a gantxo, set up by his initial delivery. Irujo then hit high and wide from the next two Xala serves, the first long and the second cheekily short. However, Irujo marshaled his senses and fought back with a vengeance. He took his first point of the final in commanding fashion with a spiraling ball over the head of his rival, and backed this up with a txoko, to suggest his engine had begun to fire. On 3-4, the unease returned for a fleeting moment as he pushed his serve long, but as if wishing to banish this blemish with immediacy, he chose the next point to demonstrate his emerging dominance in open play. He retrieved a seemingly excellent gantxo from Xala, then survived a barrage of high balls, before returning a txoko with interest to force his opponent wide. With a service winner in the next play, the score stood at 5-5.

It was in the next passage of the game that Irujo asserted his mastery, and drew slowly but surely away from Xala. Three winners, a crosscourt and two txokos gave him daylight for the first time, with a score of 8-5. Xala miscued an overhead volley in the next point to make his lead four. Xala took a point back with a wonderfully worked sequence of shots ending in a killer txoko, but again the defending champion stepped on the gas, moving from 9-6 to 12-6 as he really let fly. Xala perhaps sensed that a move needed to be made to avoid reaching the point of no return, and gave his fans a glimmer of hope in the next three points, taking perfect advantage his own selected balls with two service winners. At only 9-12 behind, the left hander was still very much in the match.

However, Irujo changed gear and was never seen again. Two successive errors from Xala gave him the boost he needed to charge for home, and he wasted little time in doing so. Xala increasingly took risks in order to rein the champion elect back, but luck was not on his side, and he increasingly found the fronton too small for the angles he needed to get around the tiger-like Irujo. Part of the frustration of playing Irujo is his ability to defend from almost any position and any predicament. Time and again one assumes that balls will beat him, and somehow, time and again, he gets there, omnipresent in the manner of Rafael Nadal on the tennis court. For Xala he proved an insurmountable wall. Not content with chasing down and profiting from everything thrown at him, Irujo’s serve now started to ignite with two unreturnable missiles in quick succession. With the score at 19-10, the gulf could not be bridged. Xala, renowned for his calm head and his impassive control, seemed powerless, unusually lacklustre and on the edge of survival. Irujo gave him two gifts, allowing Xala to draw within seven points, but in reality this was meagre consolation. A wild, wide and desperate throw of the dice from Xala handed Irujo match point, and the winning blow was struck with the vanquished on his knees, both physically and in spirit.

In the end, the statistics told the story. Irujo struck an incredible 17 winners to only five errors, all but five of them coming in open play. Xala managed a mere eight winners, six of which came from serves. Xala has relied heavily on his serve throughout this tournament and until today, his strength in this department has proved more than enough to grant him dominance, but pelota becomes a whole new ball game when Irujo enters the equation. Xala will surely be disappointed tonight, but in time he will reflect on an excellent championship, in which he soared to the form of his life. He is still one of the two best players of the year, and his demise here was due only to a multiple champion with the bit firmly between his teeth. For Irujo, now a four time Manomanista champion, greatness beckons. At only 28 years of age, his playing colleagues must dread the grip he can exert on the sport for years to come. Irujo, jubilant, shared his triumph with his supporters, his girlfriend and their tiny baby daughter, to whom he dedicated the win; for the man from Ibero, new father and newly reinstated king of the fronton, it has been quite a year.

Scoring sequence: 0-4, 1-4, 3-4, 3-5, 9-5, 9-6, 10-6, 11-6, 12-6, 12-9, 15-9, 15-10, 20-10, 20-13, 22-13.

Winners: Irujo 17, Xala 8

Service winners: Irujo 5, Xala 6

Errors: Irujo 5, Xala 5

Share on Facebook

The eyes of the pelota world will alight on Ogueta, in Vitoria-Gasteiz, tomorrow evening for the greatest, most important, and most prestigious match of the year, the Manomanista Final. The eight top Manistas have fought it out for the past two months, each determined to reach the apogee of the sport, but the final has space for only two. Martinez de Irujo or Xala? The multiple winner or the player of 2010? Tomorrow will decide.

There are some that say the early stages of this year’s tournament were a let down, and it is true that Group B ended up weaker than was hoped. The first match in that group saw the catastrophic knee injury to two time winner Aimar Olaizola, who is unlikely to return before 2011. This undoubtedly gave Patxi Ruiz a helpful leg up for the rest of the group stages. The second big name to fall was the Cuatro y Medio champion Sebastien Gonzalez, a wonderful winner over Martinez de Irujo last December. He still suffers from hand problems. This left the aforementioned Patxi Ruiz, two players brought in from the second tier competition, Retegi Bi, and Arretxe II, and Xala. Xala had signalled his intent in the first round of matches by thumping Gonzalez 22-5, and his remaining rivals in the group faced him on a wing and a prayer. Patxi Ruiz was put to the sword, 22-6, before he battled well to overcome a dogged Arretxe II 22-16 to reach the last four. Perhaps this was the test he needed to harden his steel. Ruiz joined him in the semi finals by way of a well orchestrated out-powering of Retegi Bi.

Group A was clearly the stronger of the two, not least due to the forbidding presence of the defending champion Martinez de Irujo. He was joined by Barriola, Olaizola I and Bengoetxea VI, the 2008 champion. Despite sailing unbeaten through the group stages, Irujo was not untested. His game against Olaizola I was an extraordinary one, as he was forced to overturn an inhuman deficit to win 22-18. Barriola also took 18 points off him, but in truth was a shadow of the player he was before his knee injury of last year, and lacked the killer punch of his great rival. Bengoetxea was the final victim, falling easily by 22 points to 10. There was much else to applaud in Group A, not least the never say die attitude of Olaizola I, who took a wonderful, pulsating victory over Bengoetxea in the first week, and backed this up with a typically gutsy display against Barriola to make the final four. Bengoetxea, although not at his best, marked himself out as the group’s number three with an easy win over Barriola.

The semi finals pitted Xala against Olaizola I, and Irujo against Patxi Ruiz. The former was a tight affair for the first twenty or so points, before Xala cut free, showing the extra gear which distinguishes the excellent from the merely very good. In the second, nobody gave Patxi Ruiz any hope at all, and matters went to form with Irujo winning 22-6, barely examined.

Although Irujo must be counted as favourite on his past form in this competition if nothing else, the final could well be a close one. The man from Ibero is a coiled spring, and human tiger who prowls the fronton and displays his heart firmly on his sleeve. His ruthless and dominating style has garnered him three Manomanista crowns to date, level with the Patxi Eugi (his botillero on Sunday) and Miguel Gallastegi. Only five pelotaris have more: Ruben Beloki and Atano III (4), Azkarate and Retegi I (6) and the incomparable Retegi II (11). At the age of only 28, he has many more years ahead to build himself a niche in the panoply of the greats. In addition, he is the owner of one Cuatro y Medio and three Pairs crowns, and along with Olaizola II, is the dominant pelotari of the 21^st century. He has been tested in this edition of the Manomanista, but only by Olaizola I, and his response to his near eclipse that day was so staggering as to strike fear into the hearts of all who would face the salvo in weeks to come. Even when he is down, Irujo has the ability to throw off the shackles, like a modern day Houdini. It would be a brave man to bet against the defending champion, but given his opponent at Ogueta, Sunday may prove a whole different ball game.

Yves Salaberry, or ‘Xala’, is in the form of his life, a true purple patch which shows no signs of abating. His manner on the field of play is like chalk to Irujo’s cheese, for the 30 year old from the French side of the Pyrenees rarely conveys his feelings, whether they be fearful or jubilant. He possesses an unshakable inner steeliness, a never wavering belief in his own ability to control and subdue. It is an attitude which has carried him to the heights in 2010. He and Zubieta, his also botillero throughout this Manomanista, matured like a quality wine in the course of the Pairs Championship, and took a deserved win in the final, all ease and grace. Xala was the unquestioned player of the tournament, incapable of playing a bad game. This was his second Pairs title, the first having come in 2002. He has also been a Manomanista and Cuatro y Medio runner up, in 2004 and 2005 respectively. Although he faces the toughest opponent of them all in the final showdown, there is a real sense that 2010 could be Xala’s year.

The evening’s matches commence at 17:00 (CEST) tomorrow, Sunday, with a classy doubles match to whet the appetite. The main event takes place upon the conclusion of this game, at around 18:00. If you watch only one pelota match this year, let this be it. Tune into ETB-Sat (http://www.eitb.com/television/etb-sat) to witness the drama.

The balls chosen for the final are as follows: Irujo opted for balls of 106.6g and 106.2g, while Xala has selected slightly lighter options, balls of 105.2g and 105g.

Irujo or Xala? Sunday will decide

Image from: Diario Vasco, by Eduardo Buxens

Share on Facebook

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

Share on Facebook

Saturday 5th June, Pamplona

XALA beat OLAIZOLA I 22-14

Manomanista Semi Final

Labrit was all of a buzz for this, the first of the 2010 Manomanista Semi Finals. A large and vociferous crowd gathered to cheer to show their support, and most, including a grown man in a pink tutu, sided with the underdog, Asier Olaizola, whose fans appeared to have commandeered the majority of the upper tier. It was conceivable that their man could cause an upset here. He had given Martinez de Irujo an almighty scare in the group stages, and shown indomitable fighting spirit in his two wins, against Bengoetxea VI and Barriola. However, he now faced Yves Salaberry, the pairs champion, who is experiencing a true purple patch this year. ‘Xala’ breezed through the preliminary rounds with barely a wobble, dispatching Patxi Ruiz, Retegi Bi and Arretxe II to reach this stage. Olaizola would in all likelihood pose a stiffer challenge than these three, but he was the overwhelming favourite. The match that ensued was every bit as enthralling as the fans must have hoped, an exhibition of pelota played at the highest level by two men who wanted it so very badly. In the end, polish trumped passion.

If anyone assumed Xala would hit Asier from the start, they were very wrong. The first part of the match was as close and as hard fought as anything we have seen in the championship thus far. Both men showed signs of nerves in the early exchanges, with two errors apiece in the first four points. Asier took the first real blood of the match with two winners, a cross court and a drop, to take the score to 4-2. The signs looked good for the Goizuetan, who demonstrated his power to force his opponent out of position. However, his error making returned as he hit high and then fell low to a high ball from Xala, to allow the latter to draw level at 4-4. Xala now built some momentum, kick started by a powerful long serve and drop routine and two further errors from Asier, but in keeping with the topsy turvy nature of the first half of the game, Asier wrenched the advantage back. He levelled at 7-7 by way of a Xala miscue and two outright winners, based on a serve which was now firing on all cylinders. Asier appeared once again to throw the initiative aside as Xala fired, but the pair could seemingly not be separated, as an impressive sotomano from the former brought the score to 10-10 deadlock.

The brilliance to which Xala has become used this year had thus far been contained by a man who had played with inspiration, determination, and the never-say-die attitude for which is has become known. However, the match now moved into a new phase. Xala must have sensed it was time to find a new gear, and so he did, although stutteringly at first. The three rallies which followed the 10-10 stalemate were all about the favourite. In the first, Asier managed to reach a dos paredes but in the effort found himself out of position for the resulting shot down the wall from Xala. The next two points were won by Xala’s serve, which now reached its apogee. Asier took two points back with some impressive defence turned to attack, but Xala surged again; it was the points on 12-13 and 12-14 which really turned the game. In the first of these two watershed moments, a smash from Xala appeared to have won it, but Asier dug the ball out. Xala then got one almost over his rival’s head and though Asier got to it, his reply fell just short. The underdog tried everything and was found wanting. The next point saw an exhibition of the sotomano from both players, followed by some stunning defence under the high ball from Asier. Xala eventually wore him down, winning the point with a drop. He now had a two point lead, but for Asier, that must have seemed like a chasm, for the man from Iparralde was giving no gifts.

Asier never ceased to fight, but managed only two more points in the match, one of which was the result of an extremely careless drop attempt by his opponent who must have sensed the prize was in sight. Even in points where Asier appeared on top, such as that on 13-16 in which he subjected Xala to an aerial bombardment, the eventual winner managed to escape, which must have been highly demoralizing. Points rarely came easily for Xala but one sensed that there was no way through for the brave older Olaizola. When Xala seized his 22nd point with a push into the corner, the game was up.

The scoreline, which seemingly suggests an easy victory for the favourite, fails to tell the true tale of a match where nothing came easily. Xala was put under huge pressure for the first half an hour from a man who strained every sinew to be as good as he could be. Even when he was on top, Asier refused to let him run away with the win. Xala, though, has the ability to employ an extra gear like few others, and it was this which saw him through. A hard fought match will have done him no harm in his preparation for the final, where he will have probably the biggest chance of his life to do something truly special.

Scoring sequence: 0-1, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 4-2, 4-3, 4-7, 5-7, 7-7, 7-8, 7-9, 8-9, 9-9, 9-10, 10-10, 10-11, 10-13, 11-13, 12-13, 12-16, 13-16, 13-20, 14-20, 14-22.

The final awaits for pairs champion Xala

 Image from: Noticias de Gipuzkoa

Share on Facebook

Apologies for the lack of full reports this week; I was unable to watch either of the matches and have since then been run off my feet!

This past weekend saw the conclusion of the Manomanista group stages. Group A reached its conclusion the week before, with Martinez de Irujo and Olaizola I taking the semi final slots, and this week it was the turn of Group B. Xala had already booked his place in the last four, but the second berth rode on Saturday’s game at Labrit between Patxi Ruiz and Retegi Bi. The winner would progress while the loser would kiss the competition goodbye. Patxi Ruiz it was who qualified, beating Retegi Bi 22-14. Retegi had the best of the early exchanges, taking a 4-9 lead against an opponent who looked wracked with nerves. However, Ruiz changed his approach, abandoning the volleying game he had previously adopted. His newfound speed wore the younger pelotari down, as he was forced to chase back repeatedly. Ruiz will now face Martinez de Irujo in the semi finals, where he will have to up his game to a major degree.

The other match, in Bergara on Sunday, saw the in-form Xala beat Iker Arretxe 22-16, in a game he did not have to win. The match was hard fought, and Arretxe did himself credit in the fight he took to Xala. The Asegarce player found himself in the competition only as a substitute for the injured Olaizola II, and while he lost both games he played (the other against Retegi Bi), he showed much promise as well as great character. Xala’s performance was not as dominant as might have been expected, but the Aspe forward is the player of the year so far, and looks like the most serious rival to Martinez de Irujo for the overall prize. He will first have to overcome Asier Olaizola in the semi finals.

The dates and venues for the semi final matches were announced today and are as follows:

XALA v OLAIZOLA I, 17:00, Saturday 5th June at Labrit, Pamplona

MARTINEZ DE IRUJO v PATXI RUIZ, 17:00, Sunday 6th June at Astelena, Eibar

 Source: Asegarce, here and here

The first semi final will be held at Labrit

Image from: Diario de Navarra, by Jose Carlos Cordevilla

Share on Facebook

Sunday 16th May, San Sebastian

MARTINEZ DE IRUJO beat BENGOETXEA VI 22-10

Manomanista Group A

On Sunday, Manomanista favourite Juan Martinez de Irujo made short work of Oinatz Bengoetxea to make absolutely sure of his place in the last four. Bengoetxea, the 2008 champion needed a big victory to progress, but he came up against an Irujo in a typically aggressive mood, and never came close. The result also means that Asier Olaizola is assured of his semi final slot. He will probably play Xala, while Irujo will face either Patxi Ruiz or Retegi Bi.

As if to state his intent to finish his opponent off as quickly as possible, Irujo raced to a 5-0 lead. Bengoetxea rallied to 5-4 but that was as close as he got to the tournament favourite, who surged to 13-5 and 20-6. He relaxed a little as he reached the finishing line, but he had plenty breathing space, and though he moved on to 10, Benogetxea was in an inferior league to Irujo here. The former champion committed ten errors, and the lack of competition between the two was reflected in the short duration of many of the rallies. Irujo simply had too much power and played with too much speed, and only 117 balls were required to seal the win.

This is the third consecutive visit to the Manomanista semi finals, and he has arrived at this point with three wins from three in the contest. He must now be the favourite, although Asier Olaizola uncovered weaknesses in his armoury. Xala may have something to say about the supposed top status of the man from Ibero, and as the form pelotari of the year as a whole, may prove his most formidable rival. A final between the two would be a match to savour.

Scoring sequence: 5-0, 5-4, 13-4, 13-5, 13-6, 20-6, 20-7, 21-8, 21-10, 22-10

Oinatz is out

Image from Noticias de Alava, by Javi Colmenero

Share on Facebook

Saturday 15th May, Pamplona

OLAIZOLA I beat BARRIOLA 22-18

Manomanista Group A

In a game of high intensity and great excitement at the cathedral of Labrit, Asier Olaizola overcame the staunch challenge of Abel Barriola to all but claim a place in the semi finals of the 2010 Manomanista. Had he lost here, he would have been forced to wait for the result of the match on Sunday between Martinez de Irujo and Bengoetxea VI, where a win for Bengoetxea would mean elimination for the Goizuetarra. As it was, this sterling victory meant qualification, unless Bengoetxea could beat Irujo by more than eight points.

The game was one of sporadic quality. Both pelotaris displayed stunning skill at times but both also lapsed. However, the real quality of the evening came in the form of its scintillating atmosphere, stirred up by the knowledge of all concerned that this encounter truly mattered. The large crowd roared and rippled like the sea. At first, Olaizola rode the crest of the wave, moving to a 4-1 lead with some authority. It was not to last though, as a lapse in his early intensity opened the door for Barriola, who at 9-4 to the good found himself in a position of some strength. He was able to control points, pushing Olaizola back relentlessly, and it appeared that his pre-injury verve had returned, albeit too late for him to qualify. However, Olaizola took his chance to regain the serve with both hands, and astonished all concerned with a run of fifteen straight points. He served excellently, and displayed the killer punch that Barriola increasingly lacked, on his way to registering a total of thirteen clean winners in the match. It is to be expected that after nearly a year off with a serious knee injury, Barriola will take time to return to the boil, but he looked slow here and lacked spark. Sharp movement is obviously not yet easy. However, having arrived a mere three points short of the prize, Olaizola stuttered, and his errors allowed Barriola back into the game. In his last match, against Irujo, Olaizola had allowed a massive lead to slip; surely it would not happen again? Thankfully for him, he regained his composure, not without some necessary risk taking, and moved with relief from 20-18 to 22-18.

The relief was palpable on the face of the older Olaizola; he had done all he could, and could return home to await his fate in the knowledge that he had left everything on the fronton. Barriola was below his very high par, as he has been all tournament, and one can only hope that the real pelotari will step forward very soon. The loser was, as ever, gracious in defeat, and congratulated Olaizola with warmth. As he retired to leave his brother in the limelight, botillero Aimar granted Asier a firm pat on the back; job well done.

Scoring sequence: 2-0, 2-1, 4-1, 4-9, 19-9, 19-13, 20-13, 20-18, 22-18

Share on Facebook

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

Share on Facebook

Saturday 8^th May, Pamplona

RETEGI BI beat ARRETXE II 22-21

Manomanista Group B

On Saturday it was the turn of the two young substitutes in Group B to show their colours on the biggest stage. Julen Retegi and Iker Arretxe were granted their chances in the Manomanista thanks to the injuries to Gonzalez and Olaizola II respectively, and if this match was anything to go by, both were out to prove their right to be there. The stakes were high; the winner would retain a chance of qualification for the semi finals while for the loser, the competition would be over almost before it had started. The result went right down to the wire, in front of a good Labrit crowd which warmed to the spectacle.

As was expected, the encounter was tough and very hard fought, full of bold play and forceful hitting. Retegi took the first point, indicative of his subsequent domination of the early exchanges. Arretxe played rather too hurriedly while his opponent showed more composure under pressure, resulting in a 1-5 deficit. Gradually however, Arretxe clawed his way back, closing to 4-5 and levelling the game at 7-7, making good use of his own balls on serve. The match remained tight in this middle period, but it seemed like the upper hand was Arretxe’s, as he went ahead 11-8. However, Retegi sprang into action and took eight points in a row to change the colour of the match in quick time. Arretxe fought doggedly, and clung to Retegi’s coat tails in closing to 13-16, 15-17 and 18-19 before giving the neutrals exactly what they wanted, a tie at 21 apiece. With a potential semi final place hanging on one ball, the two young players prepared for a final showdown. Arretxe’s serve was solid but Retegi managed to return with interest to keep himself in the point. Arretxe appeared to have the beating of his rival as the rally proceeded but it was the Aspe player who broke the deadlock, sending him rushing headlong to the back of the fronton to keep his hopes alive. It was not to be, and it is Retegi who can still dream of Manomanista glory.

Although he ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard, Arretxe cannot reproach himself for his beating. He was handed the unenviable task of filling the shoes of Aimar Olaizola and acquitted himself well. However, despite the narrowness of his defeat, the gloom continues for Asegarce who must now look to Patxi Ruiz for salvation in Group B. The eyes of Aspe and Retegi Bi will also be on Ruiz, for it is likely that his future performances will dictate their fate.

Scoring sequence: 0-1, 1-1, 1-5, 4-5, 4-7, 7-7, 7-8, 11-8, 11-16, 13-16, 13-17, 15-17, 15-18, 16-18, 16-19, 18-19, 18-21, 21-21, 21-22.

Source: Deia

Retegi Bi takes the advice of his great father

Image from: Noticias de Navarra, by Inaki Porto

Share on Facebook

This weekend it is the turn of Group B in the Manomanista Championship to take centre stage. This is of course a group which has been much changed by injury, and Saturday’s match is between the two substitute players, Arretxe II and Retegi Bi. Both, through no fault of their own, arrive at this point with one loss in bag from the first rotation. On Sunday, the two victors from the first round of matches face each other, with Xala the hot favourite. The man from Iparralde annihilated Gonzalez in his first game, while Patxi Ruiz advanced when Aimar Olaizola fell injured. Ruiz was however playing well up until that point, and will surely take the fight to Xala. In addition, there are two matches from the 2nd Tier Manomanista quarter finals.

Friday 7th May, Orduna

22:25 (CET) BERASALUZE VIII – BEGINO v SARALEGI – APRAIZ

23:35 (CET) LEIZA – BEROIZ 2nd Tier Pairs Championship

Saturday 8th May, Pamplona

17:20 (CET) BERASALUZE VIII – IBAI ZABALA v SARALEGI – OTXANDORENA

Followed by ARRETXE II v RETEGI BI Manomanista Group B

Sunday 9th May, Eibar

17:00 (CET) MENDIZABAL II v MERINO 2nd Tier Manomanista Championship

18:10 (CET) PATXI RUIZ v XALA Manomanista Group B

All these matches can be viewed at http://www.eitb.com/television/etb-sat

Share on Facebook