Saturday 11^th December, Pamplona

IDOATE beat MERINO II 22-7

Second Tier Cuatro y Medio Final

The second tier championships, which mirror their elite counterparts, aim to provide a stage for the brightest up and coming players, and this year’s Cuatro y Medio final achieved just that, pitting against each other two young men in their first year of professionalism. Both have turned heads since making their debuts, but here, 21 year old Mikel Idoate proved himself the pick of the crop with a thumping win. Law student Idoate juggles his time on the fronton with his studies, and has been in the top flight of pelota for a mere eight months.

20 year old Riojan David Merino found himself on the receiving end of Idoate’s dominance, and never found his stride, appearing as a duck out of water.  He started the match erratically and by the end was broken by his inability to make any inroads into the Idoate game, which was bolstered by an excellent serve and a potent volley, especially off the left. Merino, in probable desperation, entered into two arguments with the judges as well as a disagreement with his opponent, on his way to nine errors. His talent is undeniable and he will see better days, but on Saturday, Labrit was in the palm of Idoate’s hand.

Scoring sequence: 7-0, 7-2, 9-2, 9-3, 13-3, 13-4, 14-4, 14-6, 18-6, 18-7, 22-7.

Mikel Idoate: bursting with potential

Image from Diario de Navarra