Virgen Blanco Semi Final: Xala and Goni through after show of strength by frontonnews
Filed under: Pelota Mano | Tags: Begino, Bengoetxea VI, Goni III, Ogueta, Virgen Blanco, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Xala
XALA – GONI III beat BENGOETXEA VI – BEGINO 22-9
Ogueta was strangely under-populated for the first Virgen Blanco semi final on Wednesday. Whether this was due to the lack of star attraction on the fronton or to more attractive happenings elsewhere at Vitoria-Gasteiz's fiesta is anybody's guess, but these pelotaris deserved better. However, despite the absent sense of occasion, Xala and Goni III put on a display worthy of the largest possible stage.
For nine points, the match was a tight affair, characterised by some superior play by Aritz Begino, who initially had the better of his opposite number, Fernando Goni. However, with the score at 5-4 to the eventual losers, the game blew apart with eight unanswered points from Xala and Goni. Begino suffered an all too obvious errosion of confidence and went on to commit eight errors. In contrast, Goni was unflappable and as solid as the proverbial brick wall, maintaining the form he showed in partnering Martinez de Irujo to pairs championship glory earlier in the year. Xala took some time to hit his stride but when an astonishing hook from the ASPE forward took the score to parity at 5-5, the die was cast for the remainder of the match.
At the front of the court, Xala moved the ball at will, toying with both the walls and his forward opponent Oinatz Bengoetxea. The former Manomanista champion has been absent through injury for the past two months and sadly for him, it showed. He fared well in the flow of play but lacked any kind of closing power when it came to striking winners, something which came naturally to his opposite number. There was also an apparent lack of teamwork in the play of the Asegarce pair, who have not played together at all in recent months. On several occasions, Bengoetxea left balls for Begino which he should rightfully have taken himself, resulting in confusion and mishits. All in all then, this was a night to forget for Bengoetxea and Begino, but one which will provide Xala and Goni with a massive boost ahead of Sunday's final.
Scoring sequence: 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2, 3-3, 4-3, 4-5, 12-5, 12-6, 14-6, 14-7, 17-7, 17-8, 20-8, 20-9 and 22-9.
Xala on song in Vitoria-Gasteiz
Torneo Virgen Blanco, Vitoria-Gasteiz, on ETB-Sat by frontonnews
Filed under: Pelota Mano | Tags: Virgen Blanco, Vitoria-Gasteiz
This week sees the Torneo Virgen Blanco at Ogueta in Vitoria-Gasteiz and many of the matches are freely available on ETB-Sat. Competetion started yesterday with the mano a mano semi-finals, which saw Beroiz and Arretxe II proceed to the final, defeating Retegi Bi and Urrutikoetxea respectively. The first of the doubles semi finals takes place tonight (television schedule below).
On Saturday there is a special match unattached to the tournament proper, between Martinez de Irujo and Olaizola II, which should set the pulses of Vitoria-Gasteiz racing. Olaizola was of course heavily beaten by Irujo in the Manomanista final but has since gained some sort of revenge with a comprehensive defeat of his major rival in the Navarrese 4 1/2 Final. Unfortunately though, this will not be available on the web.
Matches on ETB-Sat (http://www.eitb.com/television/etb-sat)
22:00 (CEST) BELLOSO – APRAIZ v CABRERIZO – URBERUAGA
Semi-final, Torneo Virgen Blanco
23:20 (CEST) XALA – GONI III v BENGOETXEA VI – BEGINO
22:00 (CEST) DEL REY – MERINO I v SARALEGI – ESKUDERO
23:15 (CEST) TITIN III – PASCUAL v BERASALUZE VIII – MENDIZABAL II
The final will take place on Sunday and I will post any broadcast information when it becomes available.
Iker Arretxe is into the final