Gant d'Or (Gold Glove) is a premier Tournament held annually in Biarritz (1) (2) (Ipparalde--North Basque). Erik Irastorza has won this Tournament 10 times. It is sometimes overlooked because there is not much press devoted to it. It was played from July 15-August 7. Matches were played on Mondays and Wednesdays. Biarritz Jai Alai.
Recent Gant d'Or Finals:
Gant d'or Finals (source for 2016-2017: Audiense Audiovisuel Youtube full match videos) 2018: Cesta Punta Pro Tour Youtube full match video)
2016: (click on "more" for scores of all matches)
Diego (Beaskoetxea)-Irastorza 2 Goikoetxea-Minvielle 0
(15-10; 15-3) (30-13)
2017: (click on "more" for scores of all matches)
Egiguren-Minvielle 2 Goikoetxea-Lekerika 1
(7-15; 15-12; 5-1) (27-28)
2018 (no other scores available)
Goikoetxea-Irastorza 2 Olharan-Etcheto 1
(11-15; 15-10; 5-2) (31-27)
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2019
FINAL
August 7
(15-11, 15-11) (30-22). (Canal + via Cesta Punta World Tour Youtube full match video)
Condensed linescore (Canal +) (match winners always listed 1st)
Set 1
1-0; 1-1; 2-1; 2-2; 4-2; 4-3; 5-3; 5-6; 9-6; 9-7; 10-7; 10-11; 15-11
Scoring (Canal +)
Goikoetxea +6 (including 1 service ace) -0; Inza +? -1
Egiguren +4(1a) -1; Lekerika +? -1
Scoring adds to 8-5
My scoring:
Goikoetxea +9 -0; Inza +2 -4
Egiguren +5 -2; Lekerika +2 -2
Scoring adds to 15-11
Balls in Play: 232
Time of the Set: 33:31
Set 2
Condensed linescore (match winners always listed 1st)
0-2; 1-2; 1-4; 3-4; 3-6; 9-6; 9-9 (3 consecutive Goikoetxea winners--overhand big bounce over Lekerika, and two cortada rockets); 12-9; 12-10; 14-10; 14-11; 15-11
My scoring (Canal + did not provide any for this set)
Goikoetxea +10 -0; Inza +1 -4
Egiguren +4 -1; Lekerika +3 -3
Balls in Play: 180
Time of the Set: 33:15
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For the match:
Goikoetxea +19 -0; Inza +3 -8
Egiguren +9 -3; Lekerika + 5 -5
Scores add to 30-22
Balls in Play: 412
Time of the Match: 66:46
Match article (Sud Ouest)
Match article (Jai Alai News Facebook)
Goikoetxea played a match for the ages as he won his 2nd consecutive Gant d'Or, and 2nd over all, after losing the previous 2 (see above). It was Inza's first championship. Goikoetxea had a perfect match (+19 -0), scored almost 2/3 of his team's points, and played a crucial role at crucial times in each set. In the first set, at 5-6, he scored 2 of the next 4 points to make it 9-6. And at 10-11, he spearheaded 5-0 run, scoring twice. In the second set, down 3-6, he scored 3 of the next 6 points to put his team up 9-6. And at 9-9, he scored 3 consecutive points on an overhand big bounce along the left wall over Lekerika's head, and two cortada rockets to put his team in command. To put the "icing on the cake," he scored 2 of the last 3 points of the set with a high and fast two wall (front-left) that beat Lekerika and a perfect rebote two wall (also front-left) to finish the proceedings.
The best throw of all, in my opinion, was a rebote cortada that he threw earlier in the set. (1-4--2-4--note: the video does not stop at the end of the point). It finished a 12 ball point and stopped E-L's biggest lead of the match from getting any bigger.
E-L's best moment came shortly after. At 3-4--3-5, Egiguren threw a falling rebote for a left pass winner past Inza. The save was excellent--the throw superb.
The match was a battle throughout, as the over 400 balls in play demonstrate. But it is very difficult to beat the best player in the world at his best. And +19 -0 is about as good as it is possible to be.
For the rest of the tournament, we have no video and few articles. That is unfortunate. BAC, in the few years I have been following, has not provided much information. As always, with multiple matches in one post, to follow chronologically read from the bottom up.
2nd Semi-final
August 5
Egiguren-(Unai) Lekerika 2 Olha-Etcheto (substituting for Lopez) 0
(15-12, 15-14) (30-26)
Match article (Jai Alai News Facebook)
Lopez dropped out of this match due to the arm injury he suffered in the Jai Alai World Tour Lekeitio Masters Final.
Elimination phase:
July 31
Egiguren-(Unai) Lekerika 2 Olharan-Irastorza 1
(15-5, 14-15, 5-1) (34-21)
(Source: @JaiAlai France Instagram via Jai Alai News Facebook)
Egiguren-Lekerika move on to the second Semi-final.
Olharan returned from the shoulder injury he suffered in Mexico.
Olha-Lopez 2 Aritz (Erkiaga)-Minvielle 1
(14-15, 15-4, 5-1) (34-20) (Source: @JaiAlai France Instrgram via Jai Alai News Facebook)
O-L move on to second Semi-final.
July 22
1st Semi-final
1st Semi-final
Goikoetxea-Inza 2 (Diego) Beaskoetxea-Etcheto? 0
(15-12, 15-6) (30-18)
(It is doubtful that Etcheto played in this match, as he retired from his Gernika League match July 20 and missed his July 26 Hondarribia League match. But he was listed as participating).
Goikoetxea-Inza move on to Final.
July 17
Goikoetxea-Inza 2 (Kevin) Ithurria- Yeche (Nicolas Eyheragaray) 0
(15-13, 13-6) (28-19) (unclear why the 2nd set was suspended, or if it is a misprint)
July 15
Diego (Beaskoetxea)-Etxeto 2 P. Tambourindeguy-Ekhi 0
(15-9, 15-9) (30-18)
