Main Nue--FFPB Championnat de France Pro Individuel--Liguilla Round 3--February 15, 17 2019

The 2019 FFPB (Federation Francais de Pelote Basque) Championnat de France Pro Individuel Tournament began on January 4, and will end on March 3, 2019. For the third consecutive year, there are two competitions,  Group A and Group B. 21 players are involved. FFPB has provided a "dossier" (.pdf format, 7p.) explaining how the tournament works and who the players in each group are. This is a seeded ladder knock out tournament with qualification and league rounds, leading to the final.

The Players:

Player profiles at Esku Pilota

Group A: Peio Larralde (front); Matthieu Ospital (front); Baptiste Ducassou (back); Bixinto Bilbao (back); Augusti Waltery (front); Ximun Lambert (back); Peio Guichandut (back); Vincent Elgart (front); Julien Etchegary (front); Ion Iturbe (back); and Anton Monce (front)

Last year's finalists: Larralde and Ospital have been directly seeded into the League phase (1st and 2nd seeds)

Group B: Pascal de Ezcurra (back); Laurent Lambert (front); Alexis Inchauspe (front); Mickael Palomes (back); Gregory Aguirre (front); Cedric Lucu (back); Bixente (Vincent) Cubiat (back); Mattin Olcomendy (front); Mickael Darmendrail (front)

de Ezcurra and Lambert have been directly seeded into the League phase (1st and 2nd seeds)
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Previous Championships:

Complete coverage of the 2018 Championship was provided by FFPB:

Results
Brief Match Articles and Photos

More detailed articles and selected match videos were provided by Pilota Ttiki. When videos are available they are linked at the bottom of the article.

Beginning January 9 and "suivant" at the bottom of the article until you reach other tournament articles. The tournament ended on February 25 (A) and February 27 (B) (Note that not all articles you will link to are articles about this tournament).

Twenty 2018 FFPB Championnat de France Elite Pro condensed full match videos are available via Pilota Ttiki Youtube. Scroll to or find "Championnat Individuel" or "Liguilla" (without the quotes).

Finals:
Group A: Larralde 40 Ospital 18
Match article and link to full match video

Group B: Iturbe 40 L. Lambert 27
Match article and link to full match video

2017 Tournament complete coverage (match articles and available videos)

Finals:
Group A: Ducassou 40 Ospital 27
Group B: Etchegaray 40 Elgart 21

2016 Full Tournament Results: Final: Larralde 40 Ducassou 22
2015 Full Tournament Results: Final Ducassou 40 Larralde 21 (pelotelive.free.fr)

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Play in Round (January 4-7, 2019) Qualification Round Seeded Matches (January 12-14); January 19; January 26

Liguilla: February 2; February 3; February 9; February 11; February 15, February 17

Finals: February 25--Group B; March 3--Group A

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Liguilla Round 3

Note: All match videos, unless otherwise specifically stated, are condensed full match videos (usually between 15 and 40 minutes).

Injury report:

Group A

Peio Larralde has a foot injury that will keep him out of action for 3 weeks. The Liguilla 3 matches scheduled for February 17 at Biona (Bayonne) were canceled. The Group B Liguilla 3 match was rescheduled for February 15 at Hasparren, meaning the the entire Group B Liguilla 3 was played there and there was no Group A Liguilla 3. (Pilota Ttiki)

Bixento Bilbao is out of the tournament with an injured shoulder. (Pilota Ttiki)

Group A

Duccassou and Ospital will play in the Final because of injury related forfeits by Larralde and Bilbao. Ospital has played in the last two finals and was beaten by Larralde last year and Ducassou in 2017. He doesn't have very good memories from those matches, as he was beaten soundly in both matches (see above). Both players are short of match experience, as they each played in only one Liguilla match. But it will be interesting to see if Ospital can make a better showing. At his best, he can play with anyone, but Ducassou looks to be a very formidable opponent. He missed last year's Tournament due to injury and wants his title back very badly.  Each of them have a couple of weeks to prepare. 

February 15, 2019

Group B

Both Group B matches were elimination matches. Neither was close.

Trinquet Berria, Hasparren--Trinquet (old and new) (1) (2) Hasparren

Inchauspe (#3) (front) (2-1 +22) 40 Palomes #4) (back) (1-2 -28) 15 (Pilota Ttiki Youtube)

Selected linescore (winner always listed first)

16-2; 23-5; 40-15

Inchauspe led from start to finish and increased his huge 16-2 opening lead by 11 more points before the match ended. Palomes never knew what hit him. 

L. Lambert (#2) (front) (2-1 +32) 40 de Ezcurra (#1) (front) (1-2 -26) 22 (Pilota Ttiki Youtube)

Selected linescore (winner always listed first)

13-5; 20-10; 30-17; 40-22

This top seed match was also a mismatch, as Lambert got off to a 13-5 start and then also increased his lead throughout the rest of the match.  

Lambert will now meet Inchauspe, whom he beat 40-25 in Liguilla Round 1 in a match dominated by big runs by both players. Both of them know that Lambert had the last run, 18-4 to close out that match. It should be an intriguing match, as any Inchauspe match is, simply because he is a left hander. 

Group B: front 2-2; back 2-2

Match article for both matches (Pilota Ttiki)

FINAL

Group A

Hasparren

March 3, 2019

Ospital (#2) (front) (1-0 +5) v Ducassou (#3) back (1-0 +3)

Group B

Le Garat, Donibane Garazi (St. Jean Pied-de-Port)

February 25, 2019

L. Lambert (#2) (front) v Inchauspe (#3) (front)