Uterga-Aizpuru III defeated Urriza-Zaldua 35-25 at Beloki Fronton (1) (2), Zumarraga, in the final of the Gipuzkoako Foru Aldundiaren 2016ko Saria-VII Erremonte Kopa.
Full match video: Match begins at 1 hour, 6 minutes, 30 seconds of the recording. (Source: EITB).
The first thing that you will notice is that this match was played on a short court (mur a gauche). This court looked very short to me, as it ended just past the 10 line, whereas many 36 meter courts have an 11 line. Pala is often played on short courts (see the videos in the blog regarding the recently concluded Bizkaia Open, for example), but this was my first experience of a Remonte match on such a court. I often wondered about which sport the ball moved faster in. I don't think there is any question about that after watching this match.
Since there were no linescores or statistics presented for the match, I created some of my own. As always, my judgments as to winners and errors are my own. Yours may be different. Let this be a point of departure. I tended to be a little more forgiving than I usually am, because at this speed on a court this small, I sometimes find it a miracle that anyone can return anything.
Watching Urriza and Uterga was similar to what it always is. An incredibly entertaining way to spend an hour, watching two of the very best front courters in Remonte compete. Urriza's power (with a good deal of touch) against Uterga's finesse and use of every inch of the court (and many inches off it) and walls. In this match there were audible "oohs" and "aahs" for some of Urriza's more powerful cortadas. Some of those shots seemed to go right through cestas. But Uterga was also able to handle some of them. And he has some of the most effective two wall shots and high shots that land low on the back wall that you will see. Ironically, in this match, neither player was the difference maker. The difference maker was Aizpuru III. As the enhanced linescore below shows, at 21-19 U-A, this was a tense, hotly contested match. This is where Aizpuru III took over the match. Of the final 14 points his team scored, he scored 9 (including 3 service aces). He was all over the court. In the point that began at 25-20, he found himself in the front and Uterga in the back. He scored from the front. In this sequence he did not make an error. And, he outscored his partner for the match, something very few back courters do when they partner with Uterga. The match was followed by a very nice post-match ceremony celebrating all of the contestants in the opening Mano amateur final and this match.
Enhanced linescore:
Key: Server (Z or A); Number of balls in play (including serve); Score; Team Ahead; Identity of Winner or Error--UR=Urriza; UT=Uterga; Z=Zaldua; A=Aizpuru III; Winner (+), Service ace (+a) Error (-)
Urriza-Zaldua win the toss and serve:
Points 1-10
Z--9----1-0 u-z--UR+ (Urriza announces intentions)
Z--2----1-1 ==--UT+ (Uterga quickly replies)
A--2----2-1 u-z--Z+
Z--5----3-1 u-z--UR+
Z--2----3-2 u-z--UR-
A--6----4-2 u-z--UR+
Z--4----4-3 u-z--UR-
A--3----4-4 ==--UT+
A--2----5-4 u-z--UT-
Z--2----5-5 ==--Z- (Z pasa 1)
Points 11-20
A--1----6-5 u-a--A+a
A--2----6-6 ==--Z+
Z--3----7-6 u-z--UR+ (Z pasa 2)
Z--2----7-7 ==--UT+
A-11----8-7 u-a--UT+
A--2----8-8 ==--UR+ (A pasa 1)
Z--1----9-8 u-z--Z+a
Z--6----9-9 ==--Z-
A--5---10-9 u-a--A+
A--2--10-10 ==--UR+
Points 21-30
Z--4--11-10 u-a--A+
A-17-12-10 u-a--UR-
A--2--12-11 u-a--UR+ (Urriza quickly makes up for the mistake made after a long point--a mark of a champion)
Z--8--13-11 u-a--UT+ (Uterga answers! After a long point--a mark of a champion). (Z pasa 3)
A--4--13-12 u-a--UR+ (the battle is joined)
Z--2--14-12 u-a--UR-
A--5--15-12 u-a--A+
A-11--16-12 u-a--Z-
A--2--16-13 u-a--UR+ (Urriza quickly makes up for the mistake made by his partner after a long point--an even better mark of a champion)
Z--7--16-14 u-a--A- (Z pasa 4)
Points 31-40
Z--7--16-15 u-a--UR+
Z--4--17-15 u-a--A+ (Z pasa 5)
A--7--18-15 u-a--UR-
A--5--19-15 u-a--UT+
A-12--19-16 u-a--UR+
Z--5---19-17 u-a--UR+
Z-10--20-17 u-a--UT+
A-22---20-18 u-a--UT- (longest point of the match--watch Uterga's body language after point)
Z--6--21-18 u-a--Z- (Z pasa 6)
A-12-21-19 u-a--UR+
Points 41-50 (1 hour 40 minutes 40 seconds--1:48:16 on the recording).
In these 10 points Aizpuru III takes over the match and determines who the winner will be.
Z--6--22-19 u-a--UT+
A--9--23-19 u-a--A+ (A pasa 2)
A--1--24-19 u-a--A+a
A--2--24-20 u-a--UR+
Z--6--25-20 u-a--A+
A--9--26-20 u-a--A+ (By the end of this point Aizpuru III and Uterga have switched positions. Aizpuru III wins the point from the front).
A--9--27-20 u-a--UT+
A--1--28-20 u-a--A+a
A--6--28-21 u-a--Z+
Z--6--29-21 u-a--A+
Points 51-60
A--1--30-21 u-a--A+a
A--6--30-22 u-a--Z+
Z--8--31-22 u-a--A+ (Z pasa 7)
A--5--32-22 u-a--UT+
A--9--33-22 u-a--A+
A--3--34-22 u-a--UT+
A--2--34-23 u-a--UR+
Z-11--34-24 u-a--UR+
Z--3--34-25 u-a--UR+
Z-10--35-25 u-a--UT+ (Uterga ends it with a beautiful, soft dejada).
35-25 Uterga-Aizpuru III
Basic match statistics:
Individual Scoring:
Uterga +12 -2; Aizpuru III +14 (including 4 service aces) -1
Urriza +17 -5; Zaldua +5 (including 1 service ace) -4
Balls in play: 337
Number of balls in play--Number of points
0-4--28
5-9--23
10-14--7
15-19--1
20+--1
Simple linescore (winners always listed first)
1st half of match:
0-1; 1-1; 1-3; 2-3; 2-4; 4-4; 4-5; 6-5; 6-7; 8-7; 8-9; 10-9; 10-10; 12-10; 12-11; 13-11; 13-12; 16-12; 16-15
2nd half
19-15; 19-17; 20-17; 20-18; 21-18; 21-19; 24-19; 24-20; 28-20; 28-21; 30-21; 30-22; 34-22; 34-25; 35-25
The longest point run by either side was 4.
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