Tag Archives: Merino II

2013 Manomanista draw revealed

With the Pairs final only just in the history books, the draw was announced yesterday for the 2013 Manomanista Championship. Sixteen pelotaris will compete for the title, won last year by Aimar Olaizola.

For Asegarce: Olaizola II, Bengoetxea VI, Albisu, Arretxe II, Beroiz, Idoate, Olaizola I and Urrutikoetxea
For Aspe: Martinez de Irujo, Barriola, Ezkurdia, Gonzalez, Jaunarena, Retegi Bi, Zabaleta and Xala

The draw is as follows:

Group A: Barriola vs Arretxe II (Legazpi, Friday 3rd)> Retegi Bi > Olaizola II
Group B: Gonzalez vs Urrutikoetxea (Labrit, Saturday 4th) > Xala > Idoate
Group C: Olaizola I vs Jaunarena (Eibar, Sunday 5th) > Zabaleta > Bengoetxea VI
Group D: Beroiz vs Ezkurdia (Labrit, Saturday 4th) > Albisu > Martínez de Irujo

The final will be held on Sunday 16th June

Pairs Championship: the past two weeks

Apologies for the silence over the past couple of weeks; I have been away. Sadly there are not enough hours in the day to write a comprehensive report of everything which has happened in this time, so a potted results list will have to suffice! The matches from 1st-3rd March saw the following:

Friday 1st March, Urduliz: BERASALUZE VIII – ALBISU beat EZKURDIA – ZUBIETA 22-17
Saturday 2nd March, Pamplona: BENGOETXEA VI – BEROIZ beat XALA – BARRIOLA 22-10
Sunday 3rd March, Bilbao: MARTINEZ DE IRUJO – ZABALETA beat OLAIZOLA II – IBAI ZABALA 22-11
Sunday 3rd March, Logrono: ARRETXE II – BEGINO beat TITIN III – MERINO II 22-19

The following week, this is what occurred:

Friday 8th March, Zarautz: BENGOETXEA VI – BEROIZ beat ARRETXE II – BEGINO 22-15
Saturday 9th March, Anglet: OLAIZOLA II – IBAI ZABALA beat XALA – BARRIOLA 22-12
Saturday 9th March, Etxebarri: TITIN III – MERINO II beat EZKURDIA – ZUBIETA 22-21
Sunday 10th March, Eibar: BERASALUZE VIII – ALBISU beat MARTINEZ DE IRUJO – ZABALETA 22-20

Thus, with two weeks remaining in the marathon round robin section of the championship, the table looks like this:

Pair Played Won Lost Points for Points against Points diff.
1 MTZ. DE IRUJO – ZABALETA 12 9 3 247 198 49
2 BENGOETXEA VI – BEROIZ 12 9 3 248 214 34
3 OLAIZOLA II – IBAI ZABALA 12 8 4 243 186 57
4 TITIN III – MERINO II 12 6 6 221 240 -19
5 BERASALUZE VIII – ALBISU 12 5 7 214 235 -21
6 EZKURDIA – ZUBIETA 12 4 8 221 220 1
7 XALA – BARRIOLA 12 4 8 201 245 -44
8 ARRETXE II – BEGINO 12 3 9 190 247 -57

The top three pairs are all but safe as far as semi-final qualification is concerned, although Martinez de Irujo and Zabaleta saw their dominance challenged by a resurgent Bengoetxea and Beroiz. The latter had looked like the pick of the crop at the start of the tournament before falling under the shadow of their Aspe rivals, but two straight wins coupled with a surprising loss for Irujo and Zabaleta have seen them draw level at the top. Olaizola and Ibai Zabala saw their excellent run end in an easy defeat by Irujo and Zabaleta but a comprehensive win over Xala and Barriola, who now seem out of it, restored them to safety. The interest now lies in the fourth qualification place, which would seem to be between Titin and Merino, the defending champions, and Berasaluze and Albisu, who have pulled themselves from the mire in these past two weeks. The Riojans have the upper hand in terms of points but it could go either way, and happily as far as the drama of the situation is concerned, they meet each other this Saturday in Bilbao. Ezkurdia and Zubieta could still qualify, mathematically but they squandered two golden opportunities in the past two weeks. They went into their game on 1st March as probable favourites over Berasaluze and Albisu but were never really in it, and then lost by the smallest possible margin to Titin and Merino a week later. If the final point of that match had gone the other way, they could now face the final two weeks with some confidence. They need to win and for results to go for them in a big way, but at least they have a relatively healthy points difference when compared to Xala and Barriola, who are level in terms of wins and losses. They would need a miracle to turn things around.

The Promocion Championship also has another two weeks of round robin matches left, and again there is a tough fight underway for the fourth qualifying spot. For results and remaining fixtures, see here.

Pair Played Won Lost Points for Points against Points diff.
1 GORKA – CECILIO 9 8 1 190 126 64
2 APEZETXEA – LARRINAGA 9 7 2 183 154 29
3 RICO IV – UNTORIA 9 6 3 175 142 33
4 MENDIZABAL III – MERINO 9 4 5 165 164 1
5 TAINTA – LADIS GALARZA 9 4 5 171 172 -1
6 ELEZKANO II – LARUNBE 9 3 6 145 161 -16
7 OLAZABAL – ARRUTI 9 2 7 135 180 -45
8 LEMUNO – ARETXABALETA 9 2 7 118 183 -65

Olaizola and Ibai Zabala put champions to the sword

Saturday 16th January, Pamplona
OLAIZOLA II – IBAI ZABALA beat TITIN III – MERINO II 22-8

The defending champions were well and truly humbled on Saturday by a stunning performance from Aimar Olaizola and Ibai Zabala, who now sit second in the table and look ever more secure as a pair. In contrast, Titin and Merino will need to turn things around merely to make the semi-finals. At the start of the championship, it was obvious that Olaizola was the predominant player in the partnership, shielding his inexperienced partner from pressure. However, as the tournament has progressed, Zabala looks more confident and Olaizola seems happier to give him his head. He is playing with great security and not a little style, with an especially strong right. With greater equality in the pair, it is now easy to see them challenging right to the end of the championship.

In contrast to Zabala’s assured play, David Merino looked extremely out of sorts, making a catalogue of errors. This left Titin running for scraps in the face of a dominant Olaizola. The Asegarce pair looked to dominate matters from the outset with a faster ball than their opponents may have liked. Their choices, both in this and in the tactical sphere, worked perfectly and the crowd could hardly believe what they were seeing when they raced into a 14-0 lead. There was no way back from here for the Riojans. The champions managed a reaction of sorts, netting five points in a row thanks to some classy finishing from Titin but Olaizola and Zabala continued to dominate, leaving nothing to chance in a 22-8 annihilation. In under three quarters of an hour the game was up and the 2012 winners left to lick their considerable wounds.

Winners/errors: Olaizola 10/1, Titin 7/2, Zabala 1/1, Merino 1/6
Match time: 44 minutes
Balls hit: 321

Martinez de Irujo and Zabaleta consolidate while Olaizola and Ibai Zabala climb the tree

There was high octane play in the Riojan capital of Logrono on Sunday evening as table toppers Martinez de Irujo and Zabaleta came from behind to beat Titin III and Merino II 22-20 in a match that lasted almost an hour and a half. The momentum of the game changed on a sixpence many times over. The defending champions, playing front of a passionate home crowd, started the better, going 3-0 ahead. Even when they were pegged back and overtaken, they found the strength to forge on again, taking their lead to 10-6, 12-7 and 13-8. Irujo and Zabaleta fought back however, drawing level at fourteen and then sixteen apiece. Titin and Merino looked to have rediscovered their command of the situation when they took a 19-16 and 20-18 lead, but again they were undone with the increasingly powerful Irujo and Zabaleta coming through at the death to take four consecutive points, and with them the win. While there was much scintillating play to thrill the Adarraga crowd, there were also many mistakes, but these did not detract from the drama of the game. Especially engrossing was the tooth and nail fight at the back of the fronton between the two young defenders, who gave yet another demonstration of the youthful talent which fills Aspe’s roster.

Aimar Olaizola and Ibai Zabala moved up to second in the table on Saturday with a hard fought 22-19 victory over former top pair Bengoetxea VI and Beroiz. Labrit was full for this much anticipated encounter, as locals came in their droves to see whether the combined solidity of Bengoetxea and Beroiz would be enough to dampen the spark of Olaizola. Though the pair in blue pushed them all the way however, Goizueta’s most famous son proved once more that despite an inexperienced partner in tow, any pair with him at the helm will be very hard to stop. The game was very even from the start with the spoils shared at 3-3, but Olaizola and Zabala soon moved into a 6-3 lead. Beroiz failed to place enough pressure on Olaizola and fed him too many easy balls with which he was all too willing to mete out punishment; 6-3 became 8-3. Bengoetxea staged a fight back however, and with Beroiz in increasingly solid support seized the lead back at 9-10, and then 9-12, with some dominant shot play. It cost the red pair much effort to fight back but they scrapped their way to the lead again at 14-13. Deadlock ensued as the pairs could not be separated, tied at 17, 18 and 19. From this juncture thought, Olaizola stepped up a gear, and wasted little time in hitting his way to victory, 22-19 the final score. Bengoetxea and Beroiz, who looked invincible a few weeks back, are now on something of a losing run. Olaizola and Ibai Zabala, on the other hand, may now dare to dream of the semi-finals. There is a short highlights video on etb, here.

Meanwhile, in the Promocion Championship, Gorka and Cecilio became the only unbeaten pair in the competition, beating Apezetxea and Larrinaga 22-16 in Logrono. They now sit atop the table alone. At Labrit, Mendizabal III and Merino put Aritz Lasa (playing for Olazabal) and Arruti to the sword, winning 22-6.

Irujo and Zabaleta are in a position of strength

Irujo and Zabaleta are in a position of strength

Photo: mine

Pairs Week 7: the slow moving saga unravels

Friday 1st February, Zestoa: OLAIZOLA II – IBAI ZABALA beat ARRETXE II – BEGINO 22-6
Many questioned the wisdom of pairing the might of Aimar Olaizola with the inexperience of the untried Ibai Zabala, but thus far the experiment is working, mostly. The empresas made a conscious policy of picking pairs which would be evenly matched, thus creating close matches and greater excitement but at times, the dominance of Olaizola has been so great that he appears to all the world as if he could win entirely alone. This would, however, be to do Zabala a disservice for he has held his own at this level for the most part and has at times looked very solid indeed. It is too soon to tell whether they will have the staying power to go all the way, but on the strength of this showing they can be fairly optimistic. It is true that this year just as last, Arretxe and Begino are clearly the least potent of the couples, but they were destroyed here in no uncertain terms. They kept pace for a short period, Arretxe temporarily hitting with Aimar as an equal, but once the latter got his eye in there was no stopping him. This was as vintage a display of shot play as you are ever likely to see and there was nothing his opponent could do to stem the flow. Zabala played his part ably as Begino endured another bad day. Olaizola and Ibai Zabala move up to third in the table, with this their fourth win. Arretxe and Begino remain entrenched at the bottom with a solitary point. It is easy to forget that, not so long ago, Begino lifted the trophy with Olaizola. Times have changed.

Saturday 2nd February, Idiazabal: EZKURDIA – ZUBIETA beat BENGOETXEA VI – BEROIZ 22-11
Aitor Zubieta’s first match without the ousted Sebastien Gonzalez was a triumph. It was he who made the difference, dominating Beroiz at the back and giving Bengoetxea virtually nothing on a length from which he could hit a winner. When the opportunity did come his way, he proved unable to close the deal. Joseba Ezkurdia, miraculously recovered from what looked like a much more serious shoulder injury, stepped into the fray and looked as if he had always been there. He belied his tender years, and doubtless also allayed the fears of the Aspe bosses that they might have taken the wrong decision regarding Gonzalez. An Ezkurdia flop would have looked very bad indeed. However, it will take more than one golden match to resurrect the title hopes of this pair. With Gonzalez, Zubieta managed only a solitary win, over bottom pair Arretxe and Begino. They still languish in seventh but with a full rotation of matches still to be played, time is on their side. In the early days of the championship, Bengoetxea and Beroiz looked almost unbeatable and every inch the winners. However, as some other pairs have risen, their form appears slightly on the wane. They are still second in the table, with five wins and two losses, but both these defeats have come in the last two weeks. Their immediate future trajectory depends on whether Bengoetxea can keep Olaizola at bay when they clash on Friday at Labrit.

A good day for Aitor Zubieta

A good day for Aitor Zubieta


Saturday 2nd February, Pamplona: MARTINEZ DE IRUJO – ZABALETA beat JAUNARENA – BARRIOLA 22-13
Very much on the up are Juan Martinez de Irujo and Jose Javier Zabaleta. They have lost only one match so far, and that 21-22 (to Bengoetxea and Beroiz in week three), and look be growing in both confidence and flair. Attracting much of the praise is Zabaleta, new to this level of competition but taking to the big stage like a natural. It is easy to forget his tender years when one observes his command at the back of the fronton, and sensed the calmness in his demeanour. Aspe have clearly found a treasure, no matter what happens from this point on in the Pairs. Irujo, who has not had a great year by his standards, lagging dramatically behind Olaizola in the quest to be the best, appears galvanised by this new partnership. Jaunarena, another golden young talent here stepping in for Xala, proved easy pickings for Irujo on Saturday but will not be overawed; last week he clearly demonstrated his potential at this level. Barriola, so used to being in charge, could not unseat Zabaleta as the pair in red dominated every aspect of the game. They now sit top of the table in isolation while their opponents slip to sixth with two losses in the past two weekends. Xala will undergo a physical test on Friday to determine whether he can play in Tolosa on Saturdau against Ezkurdia and Zubieta.

Sunday 3rd February, Bilbao: BERASALUZE VIII – ALBISU beat TITIN III – MERINO II 22-9
The Pairs Championship is a slow burning affair. Some couples hit their stride right from the off, winning weekly with seeming total control. Others, such as Jon Ander Albisu and Pablo Berasaluze enter the tournament with high hopes but initially fail to fire. However, as long as any period of malaise is relatively contained, there is time to turn things around and there is a sense that recovery may be on the cards for Albisu and Berasaluze. They opened their account with four straight losses but have now won three in a row, lifting them from the base of the table up into fifth and right in contention for the semi-final places. This latest win was perhaps their most impressive; they flattened the defending champions 22-9 in Bilbao on Sunday, leaving the Riojans looking dejected and clueless as to how to come back. The commander in chief was undoubtedly Berasaluze, who looks to be back in the same kind of form he displayed in December. He hit winners for fun and totally dominated Titin who looked flat footed and stretched to his limits. David Merino, so often such a model of classical elegance at the back, for forced to scrap in order to lift himself out of the traps placed for him by a masterful Albisu, who was clearly the better of the defenders. So petulant was Merino’s body language by the end that he appeared broken in both body and soul. And so, Titin and Merino’s up and down title defence continues. They still sit fourth, holding onto the final qualifying spot narrowly, but there is still far to go.

For the current table see here, and for past results and future fixtures, go here.

In the Promocion Championship, Gorka and Cecilio took command at the top with a 22-6 win over Lemuno and Aretxabaleta. Elsewhere, Urrutikoetxea (replacing Tainta) and Ladis Galarza beat Mendizabal III and Merino I 22-14, Elezkano II and Mendizabal II (standing in for Larunbe) beat Olazabal and Arruti 22-18 and Apezetxea and Larrinaga squeezed past Rico IV and Untoria 22-21. For the full Promocion table, see here and for results and fixtures, here.

Gorka Esteban, going well in the Promocion

Gorka Esteban, going well in the Promocion

Pictures: mine

Pairs week 4 round up: Bengoetxea-Beroiz remain on top

Apologies for the lack of reports this week; other things have got in the way rather. There were some close games last week, with two going down to the wire and one finishing 22-20. On Friday, Titin II and Merino II pulled a 22-20 win out of the fire against a resurgent Gonzalez and Zubieta. The defending champions were lacklustre early on, especially Merino, but a mid match dip from Gonzalez allowed them into the game and then into a decent lead. However, they almost fell at the last as the trailing pair came back, only to fall agonisingly short. On Saturday, things were rather easier for Martinez de Irujo and Zabaleta, who defeated Berasaluze VIII and Albisu 22-10. This was their third win, while the losers have yet to trouble the scorers. On Sunday a cool headed Xala and Barriola just managed to halt Olaizola II and Ibai Zabala who staged a storming comeback by way of some absolutely mammoth rallies, one of which triggered a standing ovation at Astelena. Sadly for the Asegarce pair, Ibai Zabala, who otherwise played very well, hit the last ball of the game short for the narrowest of 22-21 losses. Finally, on Monday Bengoetxea VI and Beroiz almost came unstuck in Tolosa, squeaking past Arretxe II and Begino 22-21. As it is though, they maintained their unbeaten record and stay top.

The table now looks like this:

Pair Played Won Lost Points for Points against Points diff
1 Bengoetxea VI-Beroiz 4 4 0 88 82 6
2 Martinez de Irujo-Zabaleta 4 3 1 87 62 25
3 Xala-Barriola 4 3 1 86 74 12
4 Olaizola II-Ibai Zabala 4 2 2 84 73 11
5 Titin III-Merino II 4 2 2 77 84 -7
6 Gonzalez-Zubieta 4 1 3 70 72 -2
7 Arretxe II-Begino 4 1 3 63 86 -23
8 Berasaluze VIII-Albisu 4 0 4 66 88 -22

Defending champions off the mark in San Sebastian

Friday 4th January, Donostia-San Sebastian
TITIN III – MERINO II beat XALA – BARRIOLA 22-20

The defending champions, with David Merino fit again, registered their first win of the 2013 edition on Friday, taking a pulsating match of epic proportions right at the death. This was a titanic struggle, lapped up by a near capacity crowd at Atano III, which stretched over an hour and where almost every point seemed a miniature match in its own right. All four players hit the heights and were extremely evenly matched. The Riojans looked the more secure early on, but once Xala and Barriola settled they began to turn the screw, edging ahead 11-14, 13-16 and 17-19 with Xala forcing Titin to play an ever more physical game and Barriola hitting long with great aplomb. However, the champions battled hard and showed enormous determination to close the gap in the dying rallies of the game. From 17-19 they drew level and moved directly to match point. Xala and Barriola threatened a comeback as they seized another point and with it the serve, but Titin and Merino were not to be denied and brought it home 22-20. This win was not enough to move them out of the bottom half of the table, but will surely have given them the confidence they need to get their defence on the road after a rocky start.

Scoring sequence: 1-0/ 1/ 1-2/ 2/ 2-6/ 3-6/ 6/ 7-6/ 9-6/ 9-7/ 10-7/ 10/ 11-10/ 11/ 11-14/ 12-14/ 12-15/ 13-15/ 13-16/ 14-16/ 14-18/ 17-18/ 17-19/ 19/ 20-19/ 21-19/ 21-20/ 22-20
Winners/errors: Titin 11/2, Xala 12/5, Merino 1/3, Barriola 3/6
Balls hit: 810
Match time: 94 minutes with 39 minutes of actual play

Titin and Merinos defence is back on track

Titin and Merino's defence is back on track

Photo: mine

Irujo and Zabaleta inflict Riojans’ second defeat

Tuesday 1st January, Eibar

MARTINEZ DE IRUJO – ZABALETA beat TITIN III – MERINO I 22-19

Pairs Championship

The defending champions have had the worst possible start to their defence. Last week they lost to the untested pair of Olaizola II and Ibai Zabala, Merino suffering an injury to his tailbone in the process, and on Tuesday Titin, along with Miguel Merino, standing in for his brother, went down again. The manner of this second defeat, as well as its consequences, will surely rankle. the Riojans led for most of the match, edging ahead early before extending their advantage to 15-10 and 18-13 as Irujo appeared uncharacteristically restrained. However, they let their rivals back into it at the death with some very wayward play, especially from Merino, whose regular misses late on visibly pained his younger brother, on whom the camera lingered in the stands. It was a game in which errors made the difference. Titin managed nine winners, making him both on paper and in practice far more potent than Irujo, but conceded five too. However, the real culprit was Merino, who made nine errors to Zabaleta’s five. The latter’s misdemeanors were cancelled out by five winners, something Merino cannot fall back on. Zabaleta, though not thrilling, was probably the player of the match in that he put a great deal of pressure on the opposing pair, leading to many of their slips. Irujo and Zabaleta go top of the table, despite being less than convincing, while things can surely only get better for the champions.

Scoring sequence: 0-1/ 1/ 1-3/ 2-4/ 6-4/ 6-5/ 8-5/ 8-7/ 9-7/ 10-7/ 10/ 15-10/ 15-12/ 16-12/ 16-13/ 18-13/ 18-15/ 19-15/ 19/ 19-22
Winners/errors: Titin 9/5, Irujo 5/3, Merino 0/9, Zabaleta 5/5
Match time: 54.39 with 25.18 of actual play
Balls hit: 458

A day to forget for Miguel Merino

A day to forget for Miguel Merino

Pairs Championship: Aimar leads from the front for Christmas triumph

Tuesday 25th December, Eibar

OLAIZOLA II – IBAI ZABALA beat TITIN III – MERINO II 22-15

Pairs Championship

This had the makings of a highly intriguing match up. On the one hand, we had the defending champions, Titin and Merino, an established pair who combine experience and youthful talent in a coherent whole. Against them stood the biggest mismatch of the championship, Olaizola, the undisputed number one, and his partner the highly inexperienced debutant Ibai Zabala. Everything rested on whether Olaizola, still riding a purple patch of form which has extended for nigh on two years, could carry his partner to the extent that he could overcome such a talented pair. In the end, the answer was a resounding ‘yes’. Olaizola shouldered a massive proportion of the responsibility, striking many more balls than his partner, which is notable in that the defender usually hits more balls than the forward in pairs matches. He knew what he had to do and rose to the task.

The defending champions went behind almost immediately, going down 2-0 and 5-1. They came back into it, but were only to lead on two occasions, once at 6-5 and again at 7-6. Thereafter, the Asegarce pair was in almost total control. Ibai Zabala held up his end admirably, but in truth all he had to do was to defend and let his illustrious partner do the work. If Titin had been in better form the balance might have swung back, but Olaizola had his number, controlling the front of the court like a territorial tiger. He ruled the side wall, creating the angles and the space to pass his opponent and gave Titin no room to move. He scored more than double the number of winners of his rival, a whopping fourteen out of the twenty two needed to pass the line. Merino was the better defender, despite a nasty knock to his tailbone late in the game, but with such imbalance up front there was little he could do. The obvious tactic should have been to take Olaizola out of the game by hitting long to punish Zabala, but his control was too great and Titin was for the most part forced to fight for scraps. Once the lead had reached 17-11 there was no comeback and the body language of the champions suggested that they knew this.

So far so good for the most puzzling pair of the tournament. Olaizola was as stunning as one might expect and Ibai Zabala did what he needed to do to support him. Their fate in the competition depends on for how long Olaizola can keep this up. The Pairs is a long championship which requires consistency week in week out. It is also highly demanding physically. One senses that a slight dip in form for Olaizola, coupled with weaknesses creeping in from behind could see them fall from their early pedestal. Time will tell, but they will have enjoyed their Christmas.

Scoring sequence: 2-0, 2-1, 5-1, 5-6, 6-6, 6-7, 13-7, 13-8, 14-8, 14-10, 15-10, 15-11, 17-11, 17-13, 21-13, 21-14, 22-14
Service winners/errors: Olaizola 2, Titin 0
Winners/errors: Olaizola 14/4, Titin 6/4, Zabala 0/3, Merino 1/2
Balls hit: 500
Match time: 65 minutes

A winning debut for Ibai Zabala

A winning debut for Ibai Zabala

2013 Pairs Championship line up creates talking points aplenty

The combinations for the 2013 Pairs Championship were announced yesterday at the Hotel Karlos Arguiñano in Zarautz. They are as follows:

For Asegarce: Olaizola II-Ibai Zabala, Bengoetxea VI-Beroiz, Berasaluze VIII-Albisu, Arretxe II-Begino
For Aspe: Martinez de Irujo-Zabaleta, Xala-Barriola, Gonzalez-Zubieta, Titin III-Merino II

The empresas usually spring some surprises with their line ups, but this year’s pairs give rise to more discussion points than is common. The most obvious place to start is the pairing of Aimar Olaizola with Ibai Zabala. Zabala is a debutant in the championship and has rarely played at this level even in matches which matter for little. His inclusion is a major surprise, as he has apparently done very little in the past year to press for selection. Alexis Apraiz will feel aggrieved and not without reason; he himself has rarely set the world on fire this year but has consistently played on a higher level than Zabala, and is far more experienced. Also unexpected is the fact that Zabala plays Olaizola. Olaizola and Beroiz were nigh on unbeatable as a combination in the 2012 championship, only falling in the semi finals where Beroiz was badly hampered by hand problems. They won all of their round robin matches, an unprecedented feat. It is puzzling as to why Asegarce would not give them another shot but more confusing is why Olaizola would be given Zabala as a partner instead. There is little sense in putting a debutant with an inexperienced partner, and thus Zabala must feel all his Christmases have come at once, but it is hard to see this partnership going all the way, even with Olaizola at the helm. Olaizola is Asegarce’s golden goose but they seem to have shot themselves in the foot here by severely denting his chances of winning another title.

The other Asegarce pairings are less of a shock; one could argue for Beroiz being teamed with Olaizola again, but with Bengoetxea he should go far nonetheless. This looks like one of the strongest teams on paper. Berasaluze and Albisu resume their partnership from 2012 when they very nearly made the final. Slightly puzzling though is the second chance being afforded to Arretxe and Begino, who were very poor last year in winning only three of their fourteen matches in the opening stage and suffering a string of very heavy losses. There was a definite case here for giving a younger player such as Urrutikoetxea a shot at the highest level, and many would argue for retaining Apraiz over Begino who has never regained the level which saw him win the title with Olaizola in 2011.

There are two major talking points in the Aspe line up. The first of these is the debut of Zabaleta, which is well deserved. The empresa has clearly been grooming him for the big league and his recent performances hinted at a forthcoming selection. The fact that they have paired him with Irujo is a major vote of confidence and it is easy to see them going far here. Laskurain is the victim in this, as the defender forced to make way from last year’s selection. He may have cause to complain after finishing a slightly unexpected runner-up with Xala last year, but on current form it is unsurprising that he was the one to go.

The other main topic for discussion as far as Aspe are concerned, and perhaps the biggest surprise, is the inclusion of Gonzalez over a whole string of young pretenders with excellent claims. Gonzalez was left out in 2012 in favour of Aritz Lasa and made his hurt very evident in the press, later being forced to apologise to his employers for his words. Throughout the intervening year he has done very little to prove that their decision was ill advised, having very rarely been at his best, if at all. Aspe has an embarrassment of riches on the forward front and four other players legitimately made their cases for selection. Jon Jaunarena is young and perhaps they wish to bring him on more slowly, but he has won all three Promocion titles this year as well as embarrassing many far older players. There is nothing more he could have done to present his case. Also banging on the door was Joseba Ezkurdia who looked to be on a fast track to the top level, being blooded repeatedly in headline matches and more than holding his own. Perhaps Aspe thought that he, too, needed more time. If they were reluctant to gamble on a very young player though, the time was surely right for Retegi Bi, and especially for Idoate. These two seem stuck in limbo, surely good enough to be given a chance at the main championship but too experienced for the Promocion. If Aspe wanted to look to the future and develop the players who will be amongst their stalwarts in the years to come, giving one or other of them the chance to shine now would have seemed prudent. Their only consolation is that neither Gonzalez nor Titin can go on for ever, but then again, if Jaunarena and Ezkurdia fulfil their promise they may miss their chance entirely, condemned to inhabit the gap between the upper and lower level in perpetuity. Xala and Barriola will be solid and there is little about which to argue here, although given the past successes and clear chemistry of Xala and Zubieta as a pair, one could have argued for that. Finally, Titin and Merino get the chance to defend their title, which is right, proper and fair.

It is four months before we will know which of these pairs will prove the best. The Pairs Championship always produces surprises, pairs who exceed the sum of their parts and stellar combinations which never quite gel. Whatever one makes of the pairs presented in December, the journey is always a fascinating one, and very definitely a marathon rather than a sprint. The fun kicks off this Friday and there will be much to entertain us over the Christmas:

Friday 21st December, Najera: XALA – BARRIOLA v ARRETXE II – BEGINO
Saturday 22nd December, Pamplona:
GONZALEZ – ZUBIETA v MARTINEZ DE IRUJO – ZABALETA
Sunday 23rd December, Bilbao:
BERASALUZE VIII – ALBISU v BENGOETXEA VI – BEROIZ
Tuesday 25th December, Eibar:
OLAIZOLA II – IBAI ZABALA v TITIN III – MERINO II

Can the Riojans take the top step again in 2013?

Can the Riojans take the top step again in 2013?

Photo: mine