Pala/Pala Larga--Mundo Parejas--Jornada 6--April 5, 2019

Mundial Parejas, the premier long court Pala Tournament, began  February 22-23, 2019. The tournament, sponsored by Munduko Pilota Batzarra (Basque Pelota and Associated Sports World Council), is set up in a unique way. In each round the partnerships change. It features 8 InnPala professionals, 4 front court (delanteros) and 4 back (zagueros). The tournament will be played as a partial double round robin, with each player pairing with 3 others in each round, for a total of 6 matches. The partners who will not be playing together in the League phase are listed at the bottom of this post. On April 13 the top two delanteros pair up with the top two zagueros and play in a final. There is also a 3rd place match. The scoring for the tournament is based completely on joko (set) scores: 3-0=100pts, 3-1=80pts, 3-2=60pts, 2-3=40pts, 1-3=20pts, 0-3=0pts. The scoring system emphasizes the importance of every joko, no matter what the situation in any match.

All matches will be played at Mungia, (1)(2) the "Cathedral" of long court Pala (Pala Larga (1)(2)).

Complete tournament information (.pdf format, 12p), including match schedule and partnerships, rules of the tournament, and a listing of past winners going back to 2007. (Source: Munduko Pilota Batzarra).

The players:

Delanteros (Front): Pablo Hernan "Fusto"; Ibon Garate; Esteban Gaubeka; Dan Necol
Zagueros (Back): Iker Gordon; Xabier Ibargarai; Ibai Perez; Inaki Urrutia

Note: Garate won a 2 match play-in v Ander Landeta for the 4th front court position.

InnPala Player pages

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NOTE: PREVIOUS WINNERS SINCE 2007 LISTING HAS BEEN MOVED TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST

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Pre-Tournament qualifying round--February 22-23 and Jornada (Day) 1, March 1, 2019 ; Jornada 2, March 8 ; Jornada 3, March 15 ; Jornada 4, March 22 ; Jornada 5,  March 29;  Jornada 6, April 5

Final and 3rd Place Match: April 13

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Tournament preview article (Deia). Also has a feature on Ibon Garate.

Preview article (El Correo)

Final League phase table
Player-(match wins-losses: joko w-l, league points)

Delantero (front)

Gaubeka(3-3; (2-3,3-1,2-3,3-1,2-3,3-0); 380)
Fusto  (4-2; (2-3,3-2,3-2,3-1,3-1,0-3); 320)

Necol  (4-2; (3-2,1-3,3-1,1-3,3-2,3-1); 320)*

Garate (1-5; (3-2,2-3,1-3,1-3,1-3,1-3); 180)*

Zaguero (back)

Ibai Perez (6-0; (3-2,3-1,3-2,3-1,3-2,3-0); 440)

Ibargarai  (2-4; (2-3,2-3,3-1,1-3,3-1,1-3); 280)
Urrutia    (3-3; (3-2,3-2,2-3,3-1,1-3,0-3); 260)*

Gordon     (1-5; (2-3,1-3,1-3,1-3,2-3,3-1); 220)*

* Eliminated

April 5, 2019--Jornada (Day) 6

Promotion Poster (InnPala Twitter)

Full Match Videos for both matches (EITB: N-G v G-I 0:00-53:35; G-IP v F-U 53:36 to end)

Necol (4-2, 14-12, 320)-Gordon (1-5, 10-16, 220) 3

Garate (1-5, 9-17, 180)-Ibargarai (2-4, 12-15, 280) 1

(8-10, 10-8, 10-8, 10-5) (38-31)

Scoring: (EITB)

Necol +9 -3 Gordon +9 -11

Garate +10 -9 Ibargarai +6 -10 (scoring adds to 37-30)

Balls in play: 313

Necol 81 Gordon 78

Garate 66 Ibargarai 88

Time of match: 50:19

When Xabier Ibargarai walked off the court after this disheartening loss in the most important match of the competition, knowing that his 10 errors had possibly contributed to his elimination, he couldn't have been a happy man. Only the remotest of possibilities, a shutout of Fusto-Urrutia by Gaubeka-Ibai Perez could save him. There had not been a shutout in this entire tournament, and with both Fusto and Urrutia playing for their own places in the Final, no one would have blamed Ibargarai for not even sticking around to see the outcome. It was a bitter pill to swallow for the man who had so brilliantly won the Mundo Individuel (World Singles) final just a few weeks before. About 40 minutes earlier, when G-I had won a tough first set, he must have felt a lot more confident. But then his team was outscored 30-21 in the last 3 jokos (sets). That first joko victory seemed a very distant memory then. 

Little did he know, that single joko would punch his ticket to the Final. Earlier in this competition, Dan Necol (who had to face his own disappointment about an hour after he thought his victory would surely punch his ticket, along with Fusto, into the finals) spoke a great truth when he said that each joko won is important, because in a competition scored like this one, each joko counts. It surely does. The unheard of shutout came to pass (see below), and it allowed Ibargarai to "leap frog" Inaki Urrutia into the Final. Necol ended up tied with Fusto, who was passed by Gaubeka. Again it was a matter of a single joko in the two head to head matches between Fusto and Necol (see Jornada 1 and 4 links above)--3-2 Necol v 3-1 Fusto, that earned Fusto a chance at his fifth consecutive title in this competition. 

This match was decided by aggressive offensive play by Necol (+9 -3) along with the continued improvement of Iker Gordon, who won 5 of his last 9 jokos after a terrible 5-12 start. G-I came within 2 points of a second joko twice before falling 10-5 in the final joko. But the evening was still young. 

Gaubeka (3-3, 15-11, 380)-Ibai Perez (6-0, 18-8; 440) 3

Fusto (4-2, 14-12, 320)-Urrutia (3-3, 12-14, 260) 0

(10-7, 10-8, 10-7) (30-22)

Scoring (EITB)

Gaubeka +8 -3 Ibai Perez +3 -5

Fusto +13 -10 Urrutia +1 -9

Balls in play: 415

Gaubeka 101 Ibai Perez 108

Fusto 117 Urrutia 89

Time of match: 46:45

(Source for both scores: Diario VascoCartelera and EITB)

When the match began, it was Esteban Gaubeka who needed to do well to move into the Final. Urrutia was in a desperate struggle with Ibargarai for a position, and he must have been delighted by the outcome of the first match. And Ibai Perez, well, he was above the fray, his ticket punched long ago. Ibai, after a miserable start where he played the back court in the two play in matches that got Garate into the tournament, losing  0-3 and 1-3, caught fire at the right time, and swept all five of his matches, meaning that if he won this one, he would have won with each partner AND defeated each partner. In this match, he had a chance to finish with a perfect match record. And that was exactly what happened. 

The match was closer than the final tally indicated because two jokos were settled by 2 points and one by 3. Gaubeka was a solid +8 -3. Ibai Perez made 5 errors. The average number of errors by the other three backs this evening was 10. Fusto took 57 percent of the balls and was carrying a heavy load. He scored freely but also made more errors than he would have wished. But Urrutia had a very poor day at the office (+1 -9) and the 6 points less he netted than Ibai Perez were crucial. And so in the end, Fusto and Ibai Perez were in the final, but not together. Gaubeka, by virtue of the shutout, was able to pass Fusto. The final will be Gaubeka-Ibai Perez v Fusto-Ibargarai. Probably the last combination any fans would have imagined. But there it is. Every joko counts. If you don't think so, just ask Xabier Ibargarai and Dan Necol. 

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Table:

Munduko Pilota Batzarra table, with match and joko wins-losses and total match points for all players, as well as Championship points (through Jornada 4 only)

Player-(match wins-losses: joko w-l, points)

Delantero (front)

Gaubeka (3-3; 15-11; 380)

Fusto (4-2; 14-12; 320)

Necol (4-2; 14-12; 320)

Garate (1-5; 9-17; 180)

Zaguero (back)

Ibai Perez (6-0; 18-8; 440)

Ibargarai (2-4; 12-14; 280)

Urrutia (3-3; 12-14; 260)

Gordon (1-5; 10-16; 220)

Gaubeka (#1)-Ibai Perez (#1)

Fusto (#2)-Ibargarai (#2)

Fusto wins a place in the Final based on his head to head joko (set) record with Necol (2-3 in Jornada 1, 3-1 in Jornada 4 = 5 jokos to 4). 52 jokos were played in the 12 match League. The maximum that could have been played (each match 3-2) was 60.

Joko breakdown:

5 matches: 3-2

6: 3-1;

1: 3-0

Final score in the 3-2 matches: 10-9; 10-9; 10-6 10-7; 10-9 (50-40 of a possible 50-45)

Full scoring (EITB) is available for the three matches (Jornadas 3,5, and 6) that were televised:

Delanteros (front)

Gaubeka +43 -19 +24

Necol +42 -19 +23

Fusto +37 -22 +15

Garate +24 -19 +5

Zagueros (back)

Ibargarai +28 -28 0

Ibai Perez +15 -17 -2

Gordon +23 -33 -10

Urrutia +9 -27 -18

UPCOMING:

APRIL 13, 2019

3RD PLACE

NECOL (320)-URRUTIA (260)

V

GARATE (180)-GORDON (220)

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SCHEDULE FOR THE 6 WEEK ROUND ROBIN LEAGUE PHASE 

March 1, 2019:

Gaubeka-Gordon v Garate-Urrutia

Fusto-Ibargarai v Necol-Ibai Perez

March 8:

Garate-Ibargarai v Fusto Urrutia

Gaubeka-Ibai Perez v Necol-Gordon

March 15:

Necol-Ibargarai v Garate-Gordon

Gaubeka-Urrutia v Fusto-Ibai Perez

March 22:

Garate-Gordon v Gaubeka-Urrutia

Fusto-Ibai Perez v Necol-Ibargari

March 29:

Garate-Urrutia v Fusto-Ibargarai

Gaubeka-Gordon v Necol-Ibai Perez

April 5:

Garate-Ibargarai v Necol-Gordon

Gaubeka-Ibai Perez v Fusto-Urrutia

League pairs that will not play together:

Fusto-Gordon

Garate-Ibai Perez

Gaubeka-Ibargarai

Necol-Urrutia

April 13: Final

#1 delantero (front)-#1 zaguero (back) v #2 (d)-#2 (z)

Source: Munduko Pilota Batzarra "dossier"

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Previous Tournament Winners (since 2007)

2007: Urkia-Imanol 45 Gaubeka-Velilla 33 Match article (Naiz)

2008: Fusto-Larrinaga 45 Ziskar II-Galan 35 Match article (Naiz)

2009: Gaubeka-Beldarrain 45 Urkia-Lujan 33 Match article (Naiz)

2010: Ziskar II-Imanol 40 Fusto-Ayerbe 24 Match article (EITB)

2011: No Competition

2012: Gaubeka-Ayerbe 3 Altadill-Lujan 1 (12-8, 6-12, 12-11, 12-8) (42-39)

Match article (InnPala)

2013: Fusto-Larrinaga 3 Gaubeka-Ayerbe 0 (10-8, 10-7, 10-6) Match article (Diario Vasco) Complete Results (InnPala)

2014: Zubiri-Imanol 3 Fusto-Urkijo 2 (3-10, 6-10, 10-6, 10-8, 10-7) (39-41) Match article (Munduko Pilota Batzarra) video of final point (EITB) Complete Results (InnPala)

2015: Fusto-Ibargarai 3 Gaubeka-Ibai Perez 1 (10-8, 10-9, 2-10, 10-8) (32-35) Match article (Munduko Pilota Batzarra)

2016: Fusto-Brefel 3 Gaubeka-Imanol 2 (10-8, 8-10, 10-6, 7-10, 10-7) (45-41) Match article (Deia) BLOG POST (scroll to Pala) (unfortunately, EITB has removed the full match video)

2017: Fusto-Ibai Perez 3 Gaubeka-Imanol 2 (4-10, 9-10, 10-8, 10-8, 10-8) (43-44) BLOG POSTS THAT COVER ENTIRE TOURNAMENT; Munduko Pilota Batzarra Tournament coverage; video of final point and closing ceremony (EITB); (unfortunately, EITB has removed the full match video).

2018: Fusto-Ibargarai 3 Landeta-Gordon 1 (10-9, 9-10, 10-5, 10-8) Munduko Pilota Batzarra Tournament coverage; Full match video (EITB)

Since 2007 in Finals

Fusto (d front) 6-2 (4 in a row from 2015-2018, and 5 of the last 6)

Gaubeka (d front) 2-5

Imanol (z back) 3-2

Ayerbe (z back) 1-2

Larrinaga (z back) 2-0

Ibargarai (z back) 2-0

Urkia (d front) 1-1

Ziskar II (d front) 1-1

Ibai Perez (z back) 1-1

Lujan (z back) 0-2

Belderain (d front) 1-0

Zubiri (d front) 1-0

Brefel (z back) 1-0

Velilla (z back) 0-1

Galan (z back) 0-1

Urkijo (z back) 0-1

Altadill (d front) 0-1

Landeta (d front) 0-1

Gordon (z back) 0-1