Luzean (Saint Jean de Luz) v Section Paloise (Pau): enhanced point by point linescore

Luzean (Saint Jean de Luz) (Ramuntcho Amestoy-Stéphane Suzanne--red).defeated Section Paloise (Pau) (Olivier Laberdesque-Baptiste Hourçourigaray--white) 40-37.

Match article  (for this match and the other three finals)(Source: FFPB)

Condensed linescore (winners always listed first)

1-0; 1-3; 2-3; 2-5; 3-5; 3-11; 5-11; 5-12; 8-12; 8-13; 12-13; 12-15; 13-15; 13-16; 15-16; 15-23; 16-23; 16-27; 17-27; 17-28; 21-28; 21-29; 26-29; 26-31; 29-31; 29-32; 30-32; 30-33; 31-33; 31-34; 35-34; 35-35;  36-35; 36-37; 40-37

Equalities:

1-1; 34-34; 35-35; 36-36; 37-37

Decades:

3-7; 8-12; 14-16; 16-24; 21-29; 29-31; 35-35

Lead changes: 4 (3 after 34-34)

Scoring. Note the scoring is based on my subjective judgment. You may see it differently. Let this be a point of departure. Rules I follow: 1. Any serve that is not returned is credited as a service ace. 2. Errors are charged on the basis of whether a reasonable effort would have kept the point going. Errors of aggression are treated the same as errors of execution.  I rely heavily on crowd reaction and player body language, as well as the above rules. In the case of a close call, my bias is for winners rather than errors. On close calls, winners make two players happy. Errors make two players angry.

Amestoy +19  (including 3 service aces) -5; Suzanne +12 -3
Laberdesque +22 (including 2 service aces) -6; Hourçourigaray +7 -3

Balls in play: 1107

Number of balls in play/Number of points

0-9/29
10-19/30
20-29/9
30-39/5
40-49/1
50-59/2
61/1

Source for all match video: Toute sur la Pelote Basque Facebook and/or Youtube site via pelotelive.free.fr If you watch the video via PFF, make sure to "desactiver" PFF's auto refresh function or the video will stop.

Full match video and selected match video.

This was a classic youth-power v experience-finesse match. A-S have played in the last 5 consecutive CDF National A finals in this modality (Source: FFPB competitions-resultats and pelotelive.free.fr), This was their 4th win in that span. They were on the back foot for much of the match, after leading 1-0. They trailed 3-11 early on in the match. Their largest deficit was 16-27 and 17-28. Laberdesque dominated the match early. But A-S never panicked, never screamed in frustration or tossed a paleta. They played with cool intellect and very slowly worked their way back into the match. Both players seemed always to be in the right spot at the right time. Their shot making ability (Amestoy's deadly accuracy in front and Suzanne's long range right wall shots) and great Suzanne defense began to take their toll. After their long uphill battle to equality and then a 36-35 lead, they again fell behind 36-37. What followed was classic clutch play. Beautiful winners by Suzanne, Amestoy, Suzanne, and Amestoy closed out yet another CDF for S-A. L-H played extremely well also. Only in the 7th decade, by my scoring, did they slightly crack under the pressure, with 3 errors. In the end it was the experience, intelligence, calmness under pressure, and execution of the champions that made the difference.

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Enhanced linescore--the match, point by point, to the best of my ability

Key: (A=Amestoy, S=Suzanne, L=Laberdesque, H=Hourçourigaray
Server, Number of balls in play; Score; Team in the lead (L=Saint Jean de Luz, P=Pau)--match winner always listed 1st; Player + = winner); Player +a = service ace; Player - = error

All times given are approximate on the Facebook video, as it is impossible to ascertain exact time segments on Facebook videos.

A-S win the toss and serve

Decade 1 (0:00-12:15)

A---19-----1-0(L)-----S+
A---6-------1-1(=)-----L+
L---3-------1-2(P)------L+
L---5-------1-3(P)------S-
L---6-------2-3(P)------H-
A---22-----2-4(P)------L+
L---41------2-5(P)-----A-
L---12------3-5(P)------S+
A---2-------3-6(P)------H+
L---3--------3-7(P)------L+

Decade 2 (12:30-23:00)

L---3--------3-8(P)------H+
L---15-------3-9(P)------L+
L---39-------3-10(P)----S-
L---15-------3-11(P)-----H+
L---36-------4-11(P)-----H-
A---9--------5-11(P)-----A+
A---14-------5-12(P)-----L+
L---28-------6-12(P)-----A+
A---3---------7-12(P)----A+
A---11--------8-12(P)----A+

Decade 3 (23:20-29:45)

A---16--------8-13(P)-----L+
L---26---------9-13(P)----A+
A---1---------10-13(P)----A+a
A---1---------11-13(P)----A+a
A---19--------12-13(P)----A+
A---14--------12-14(P)----L+
L---11---------12-15(P)----L+
L---10---------13-15(P)----S+
A---4----------13-16(P)----L+
L---12---------14-16(P)----S+

Decade 4 (30:20-38:50)

A---9----------15-16(P)----S+
A---20---------15-17(P)----H+
L---17----------15-18(P)----L+
L---15----------15-19(P)----H+
L---1------------15-20(P)----L+a
L---61-----------15-21(P)----L+
L---15-----------15-22(P)----L+
L---3-------------15-23(P)----A-
L---2-------------16-23(P)----A+
A---10-----------16-24(P)----L+

Decade 5 (39:00-48:10)

L---5-------------16-25(P)----S-
L---1-------------16-26(P)-----L+a
L---9-------------16-27(P)-----A-
L---22------------17-27(P)-----L-
A---16------------17-28(P)-----L+
L---4--------------18-28(P)-----A+
A---51-------------19-28(P)----L-
A---3---------------20-28(P)----A+
A---31--------------21-28(P)----A+
A---16--------------21-29(P)----H+

Decade 6 (50:05--57:45)

L---10---------------22-29(P)----S+
A---7----------------23-29(P)----L-
A---3----------------24-29(P)----A+
A---33---------------25-29(P)----S+
A---9-----------------26-29(P)----S+
A---8-----------------26-30(P)----L+
L---11----------------26-31(P)----L+
L---32----------------27-31(P)----A+
A---11----------------28-31(P)----S+
A---5-----------------29-31(P)----H-

Decade 7 (58:20--1:08:50)

A---10----------------29-32(P)----L+
L---4------------------30-32(P)----L-
A---26----------------30-33(P)----L+
L---12----------------31-33(P)----L-
A---18----------------31-34(P)----A-
L---26----------------32-34(P)----L-
A---9-----------------33-34(P)----A+
A---1-----------------34-34(=)----A+a
A---9-----------------35-34(L)----S+
A---52---------------35-35(=)----A-

Decade 8 (1:09:10-1:16:20)

L---20----------------36-35(L)----A+
A---12----------------36-36(=)----H+
L---11-----------------36-37(P)----L+
L---10-----------------37-37(=)----S+
A---17-----------------38-37(L)----A+
A---19-----------------39-37(L)----S+
A---25-----------------40-37(L)----A+

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