Tag Archives: Titin III

Presenting the Finalists: Berasaluze II and Albisu

Pablo Berasaluze Zabala was born in 1977 in Berriz, a town of around 5000 inhabitants nestled between Durango and Zaldibar in Bizkaia. He made his professional debut in 1998 at the age of 20, at the Municipal Fronton of Bergara, after a successful amateur career which saw him take the Liga Vasca de Clubes title in 1994 and the Torneo El Diario Vasco pairs title in 1997. Although he has been a regular feature in the top flight of pelota for many years, Berasaluze has yet to win a major championship title. His Pairs Championship record is not a stellar one; he has reached the semi-finals on only two occasions in seven attempts, but the second of these appearances came last year with Albisu, his partner this time round. On that occasion they won only one of their semis in what was essentially a dead rubber against Titin III and Zabaleta (the latter replacing Merino II for the eventual champions). This year they have fought to the death and come through against all the odds, testament to the fighting spirit for which Berasaluze is famous. He plays with commitment and extraordinary verve, his small stature combined with his determination reminding one of a terrier at work. A terrific player who has bloomed late in his career, Berasaluze surely deserves at least one major championship txapela to show for his efforts and in the year when he changed his playing name from Berasaluze VIII to Berasaluze II in honour of his late father, a win on Sunday would be a fitting tribute.

Pairs record
2003 with Beloki, group stages
2004 with Zearra, group stages
2005 with Patxi Ruiz, group stages
2009 with Zearra, semi-finals
2010 with Begino, group stages
2011 with Apraiz, group stages
2012 with Albisu, semi-finals

Previous professional titles
None

Jon Ander Albisu is, at the age of 22, a pelotari just coming into his own. Regarded since the start of his career as a huge talent who could not find consistency, this tournament has represented a watershed; his playing has at times been erratic but at times inspired and coupled with the dynamism of Berasaluze his determination has seen him through. Albisu was born in Ataun, in the Goierri region of Gipuzkoa. He has an impressive amateur palmares which includes the Torneo del Antiguo pairs title in 2008, the championship of Euskadi individual titles in 2009 and 2010 and the GRAVN individual crown in 2010. These showings were enough to merit a contract with Asegarce, with whom he made his debut in July 2010 in Tolosa. A year later he took his only professional title to date, winning the Promocion Pairs Championship with Olaetxea, beating Gorka and Merino I in the final. In 2012 he was promoted to the top tier tournament, making the semi-finals with current partner Berasaluze. Whatever happens on Sunday, the 2013 Pairs final will be a defining moment in Albisu’s career, the moment he moved from promising young player to genuine title contender. He has shown a great deal of grit in this championship, absorbing much criticism in the press to come good when it matters. He will be scrutinised more than anyone else, for Asegarce’s victory bid rests on which Albisu takes to the fronton, the confident new star or the inconsistent youngster.

Pairs record
2012 with Berasaluze II, semi-finals

Previous professional titles
2011 Promocion Pairs Championship, with Olaetxea

Photos: mine

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 5: Xala injured as status quo is maintained at the top

Pablo Berasaluze and Jon Ander Albisu finally grabbed their first point of the championships on Friday in Mungia, defeating Sebastien Gonzalez and Aitor Zubieta 22-16. The match was coloured by the state of Gonzalez’s health; the Aspe forward was indisposed and obviously hampered by a gastrointestinal problem. Despite a string of winners from Berasaluze, taking advantage of his less than healthy opponent, the defenders were the stars of the show, with Zubieta showing the greater consistency. Unfortunately for him though, the win was out of reach. Both pairs have now won one match and lost four, and must lift themselves before their deficit on the top pairings becomes insurmountable.
Scoring sequence: 0-1/1/4-1/4-2/7-2/7-4/9-4/9-6/10-6/10-8/13-8/13-10/14-10/14/15/19-13/19-16/22-16/
Winners/errors: Berasaluze 13/4 (including 3 service winners), Gonzalez 7/7 (including one service winner and one service fault), Albisu 1/4, Zubieta 1/1
Match time: 75 minutes with 25 minutes of actual play
Balls hit: 496

Victory for Pablo Berasaluze

Victory for Pablo Berasaluze

Oinatz Bengoetxea and Mikel Beroiz maintained their unbeaten record in Eibar on Sunday, though in rather unusual circumstances. The top pair ran out 22-16 winners over Xala and Barriola in an official sense, but the game was brought to a premature halt with the latter pair leading 16-15 following an injury to Xala. The game had been an extraordinary one, cheered to the rafters of Astelena by an enthusiastic crowd. Bengoetxea and Beroiz opened their account in dominating fashion, racing to a 13-2 lead. Once Xala and Barriola hit their stride however, the momentum swung entirely as they seized thirteen points in a row to tie affairs at 13-13, before going ahead 14-13 and 16-14. Xala was the star of the show, racking up ten winners in this run and repeatedly beating Bengoetxea into submission. However, it all fell apart for the resurgent forward as he was forced to leave the fronton with pain in his leg. He returned to the fray, giving hope that his disappearance had been a false alarm, but he proved unable to continue. He has since been diagnosed with a partial tear of the hamstring and will be out of action for between three and four weeks. Jon Jaunarena, last year’s triple promocion txapela winner, will replace him on Friday against Berasaluze and Albisu.
Scoring sequence: 1-0/ 1/ 1-6/ 2-6/ 2-11/ 3-11/ 2-13/ 13/ 14-13/ 14/ 16-14/ 16-15
Winners/errors: Xala 10/2, Bengoetxea 10/5 (including 2 service winners), Barriola 0/3, Beroiz 1/0
Match time: 63 minutes with 22 minutes of actual play

Abel Barriola: stopped in his tracks by Xalas injury

Abel Barriola: stopped in his tracks by Xala's injury

Zabaleta was the MVP as he and Juan Martinez de Irujo defeated Aimar Olaizola and Ibai Zabala 22-16 in Bilbao. The blue pair succeeded where others have struggled in essentially removing Olaizola from the game. Ibai Zabala has played better than many had expected thus far in the tournament but until now he had never really been exposed, with Olaizola shouldering the lion’s share of the work. However, Irujo and Zabaleta came into the match with a  clear strategy and had the skill to see it through; there was very little Olaizola, repeatedly bypassed at the front, could do to rescue Zabala from the bombing meted out to him by Zabaleta, a championship debutante who is truly coming of age. The Asegarce pair held on well until the mid-point, indeed they went ahead 12-8. Olaizola and Irujo fought tooth and nail but neither could create a decisive break, while Zabala held his own with Zabaleta. However, once their opponents had pulled it back to 14-14 there was no looking back as Zabaleta pulled them into the ascendancy. It was a plan excellently conceived and perfectly executed, which led to a deserved win. This is the fourth triumph form Irujo and Zabaleta, who look to be coming to the boil nicely. The jury is still out on the pairing of Olaizola and Ibai Zabala; they have won two and lost three, one of which was agonisingly close to a win, and their path could still go one of two ways. Will more pairs be able to expose Zabala while obviating his great partner?
Scoring sequence: 2-1/3-2/3-3/4-4/6-5/7-7/9-8/10-8/12-9/13-13/14-14/15-17/15-18/16-20/16-22
Winners/errors:
Olaizola 7/3 (including 4 service winners), Irujo 12/5 (including 1 service winner), Zabala 2/3, Zabaleta 2/2
Match time:
73.23 minutes with 34.27 of actual play
Balls hit:
624

Jose Javier Zabaleta played his part to perfection

Jose Javier Zabaleta played his part to perfection

Defending champions Titin III and Merino II made the most of their home advantage in Logrono but were pushed hard in their 22-18 win over Arretxe II and Begino on Sunday. The Riojans started strongly, going up 6-1 and then 10-5. Arretxe and Begino were slow to get into the game but when they did, they fought hard to try and close the gap, something they did not quite manage though they came to within two points at 13-15. Titin and Merino halted the comeback and began to eke out a bigger advantage, looking on the cusp of victory at 19-14. However, Arrexte and Begino refused to lie down and struck three times in a row to close to 18-21. However, it was too little too late; while forced to react to their dogged play, the champions had always kept their rivals at arm’s reach and held on for a 22-18 win. This is their third victory of the campaign and it keeps them in the mix in third place in the table. Arretxe and Begino, with a lone win to their name, are bottom.

Home win in La Rioja for David Merino

Home win in La Rioja for David Merino

(All photos are mine)

Table after five weeks:

Pair Played Won Lost Points for Points against Points diff
1 Bengoetxea VI-Beroiz 5 5 0 110 98 12
2 Martinez de Irujo-Zabaleta 5 4 1 109 78 31
3 Titin III-Merino II 5 3 2 99 102 -3
4 Xala-Barriola 5 3 2 102 96 6
5 Olaizola II-Ibai Zabala 5 2 3 100 95 5
6 Gonzalez-Zubieta 5 1 4 86 94 -8
7 Berasaluze VIII-Albisu 5 1 2 88 104 -16
8 Arretxe II-Begino 5 1 2 81 108 -27

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