Mano: Eskuz Banakako Txapelketa-Campeonato Manomanista De Lep.M 2019--Semi-Finals

Eskuz Banakako Txapelketa-Campeonato Manomanista De Lep.M, the premier professional Mano singles championship competition, began  on April 14, 2019 with two play-in matches. It will end on June 2, 2019 with a final. It is a seeded ladder knockout tournament consisting of 4 1/16 round play in matches, followed by seeded 1/8 and Quarter-finals. Quarter final winners will play a Semi-final and Semi-final winners will play in the final. There will also be a third place match.

The competition will be in four Groups (A-D). The seeding works as follows:

Seeds: (D/F) =delantero/front; (Z/B) = zaguero/back

Group A: 1/8: Irribarria (D/F); 1/4: Altuna III (D/F)

Group B: 1/8: Rezusta (Z/B); 1/4: Elezkano II (D/F)

Group C: 1/8: Bengoetxea VI (D/F); 1/4: Urrutikoetxea (D/F)

Group D: 1/8: Jaka (D/F); 1/4: Ezkurdia (D/F)

2019 schedule (Baiko Pilota--formerly Asegarce) Note: this also links to full results of all Manonista Tournaments back to 1999.

2019 ASPE Schedule 

21Iguales.com complete tournament coverage

21iguales Twitter feed live scoring page

List of previous winners going back to 1940 (Baiko Pilota)

Available Final match videos

1948 (Gallestegi 22 Atano III 6--highlights only) ;

(1991 Galarza III 22 Retegi II 15--added April 17, 2019)  ; (1992 (Galarza III 22 Retegi II 12--added April 27, 2017) ; 1993 (Retegi II 22 Galarza III 19) ; 1995 (Beloki 22 Errandonea 15) ; 1997 (Arretxe 22 Elkoro 18)

2000 (Eugi 22 Beloki 13) ; 2001 (Beloki 22 Eugi 8) ; 2002 (Barriola 22 Beloki 3) ; 2003 (Patxi Ruiz 22 Olaizola II 7) ;  2004 (Mtz. de Irujo 22 Xala 12) : 2005 (Olaizola II 22 Mtz. de Irujo 18) ; 2006  (Mtz. de Irujo 22 Olaizola II 17) ; 2007 (Olaizola II 22 Barriola 10) ; 2008 (Bengoetxea VI 22 Barriola 11) ; 2009 (Mtz. de Irujo 22 Olaizola II 12)

2010 (Mtz. de Irujo 22 Xala 13--1:18:45) 2011 (Xala 22 Olaizola II 19--1:27:27) ; 2012 (Olaizola II 22 Mtz. de Irujo 7) ;  2013 (Olaizola II 22 Mtz. de Irujo 7--1:17:25) ; 2014 (Mtz. de Irujo 22 Retegi BI 9--1:21:40) ;  2015 (Urrutikoetxea 22 Olaizola II 19) ; 2016 (Irribarria 22 Urrutikoetxea 13) ; 2017 (Bengoetxea VI 22-Irribarria 18--added April 17, 2019) ; 2018 (Altuna III 22 Oliazola II 14--added April 17, 2019)

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Play-ins ; 1/16 Round ; 1/8 Round ; 1/4 Round; Semi-Finals; 3rd Place Match--cancelled;

FINAL

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Semi-Finals

May 19, 2019

Astelena, Eibar (1) (2)

Irribarria (Group A 1/8 seed) 22

Elezkano II (Group B 1/4 seed) 12 (EITB--match begins at 1:01:15)

Highlights (EITB)

Condensed linescore (winners always listed first) (21Iguales Twitter)

0-2; 3-2; 3-3; 9-3; 9-5; 11-5; 11-7; 16-7; 16-10; 18-10; 18-11; 20-11; 20-12; 22-12

Scoring (EITB)

Irribarria +16 (including 3 service aces and 8 high and deep shots) -2

Elezkano II +10 (3a) -7

Balls in play: 148; I 79 E 69

Time of the match 35:14

Match article (21Iguales)

May 18, 2019

Bizkaia, Bilbo (Bilbao) (1) (2)

The only survivor of the 1/8 seeded players in the Banakako Txapelketa/Campionato Manomanista (Singles) championship advanced to the Final when he demolished the man who beat him in the recently concluded Binakako Txapelketa/Mundo Parejas (Pairs) championship, Danel Elezkano, 22-12. Irribarria did it with dominant figures: +16 (including 3 service aces) - 2. Of his 13 non service ace points, 8 came on high and deep shots. Astelena (Eibar) is one of the smaller conchas (courts) that professionals play on. Still it was remarkable that one of Irribarria's "steam shovel" bombs actually hit the back wall, a site seldom seen in Mano. Several other deep shots put Elezkano in such a poor position that Irribarria was able to win points with easy kill shots. Elezkano's precision short offense and tremendous defense in the front court was useless against Irribaria's bombs. It is always impressive to see him get his left hand under the ball and crash it high off the wall. "Meet Irribarria's hand, see the Basque Country," the pelotas say when they talk to each other. He also played very well with his right hand in this match, which is more "bad news" for his opponents. This match propelled him into the Final on June 2 at Bizkaia, Bilbo (Bilbao), against Mikel Urrutikoetxea. Urrutikoetxea is a big, strong, converted back court player, so he may have the tools to counter Irribarria's power. But Irribarria is riding a wave of momentum. This will be the second time in the last four years the two have met in this final. In the first, in 2016, when both had recently burst on the scene, Irribarria won 22-13. Full match video of that match is available via EITB.

Urrutikoetxea (Group C 1/4 seed) 22

Ezkurdia (Group D 1/4 seed) 14 (EITB--match begins at 1:23:45)

Fronton TV (Castilian)

Highlights (EITB)

Condensed linescore (winner always listed first) (21Iguales)

1-0; 1-1; 3-1; 3-3; 4-3; 4-4; 14-4; 14-7; 15-7; 15-10; 16-10; 16-12; 20-12; 20-14; 22-14

Scoring (EITB)

Urrutikoetxea +17 (including 4 service aces) -7

Ezkurdia +7(2a) -5

Balls in play: 251; U-129 E 122

Time of the match 60:49

Match article (21Iguales)

Urrutikoetxea punched his ticket to the final, using a 10 point run that gave him a 14-4 lead, as the springboard to victory. The match was fairly even before and after that. Urrutikoetxea jumped off to 9-3 lead, but Ezkurdia cut that to 4. After the big run, Ezkurdia outscored Urrutikoetxea by 2, too little, too late. Urrutkoetxea did not have the best day (-7), but his +17 neutralized the errors. Ezkurdia simply couldn't get his offense going (+7) and his 5 errors pretty much nullified that.