The 37th Torneo Individual Kutxabank, the premier Oriamendi2010 singles tournament, took place from July 27-September 14, 2019. The Tournament was played as a seeded round robin with 1/8, Quarter-final, and Semi-Final Leagues. The winner of the 1/8 League moved on to join 2 seeded players in the Quarter-Final League. The winner of the Quarter-final League moved on to join 3 seeded players in the Semi-Final League. The winner of the Semi-final League automatically advanced to the Final. The 2nd and 3rd place Semi-final League finishers played in a Semi-Final. The players and their positions and Oriamendi Groups are listed below. The two preliminary Leagues were decided based on win-loss records. If there was a 3 way tie (which happened in the Quarter-final league), it was decided by point differential. Points were assigned in the Semi-Final League in the usual way that Oriamendi2010 assigns them (except there was no score that could lose a point for the loser).
Matches were played as single partidos to 30 points.
Semi-final League point assignment.
For those who wish to follow this tournament in chronological order, please begin at the bottom of the page and work your way up.
The players:
1/8 League (July 27-August 3)
Juanenea (delantero-front-Oriamendi Group B)
Goikoetxea V (d-B)
Ansa II (d-B)
1/4 League (August 6-13)
Azpiroz (zaguero-back-B)
Ezkurra II (d-B)
Winner of 1/8 League
Semi-final League (August 17-September 3)
Barrenetxea IV (z-A)
Endika (z-A)
Urriza (d-A)
Winner of 1/4 League
Semi-final (September 7)--Semi-Final League #2 v #3
Final (September 14) Semi-Final League #1 v Winner of Semi-Final
Javier Urriza, arguably the best front in the modality, was the prohibitive favorite going in. He was the 4 time defending champion of this competition and had won 6 of the last 7 Txapelas (championships) in total, 2nd only to recently retired Koteto Ezkurra, one of, if not THE greatest remonista in the history of the modality (which began in 1904). Ezkurra won this championship 11 times.
List of Finals and winners--1944, 52, 81, 86-2016 (list is at the bottom of the article)
Photo of 7 previous champions (27 Txapelas (Mundo Deportivo)
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Note: Source for all match related articles, unless otherwise specifically stated, is Oriamendi2010
Recap of all scores of all matches, in reverse chronological order.
September 14
FINAL
FINAL
Highlights (EITB) (there is no sound on this video)
Condensed linescore: (Diario Vasco) (winner always listed first)
0-1; 3-1; 3-2; 6-2; 6-3; 7-3; 7-9; 9-9; 9-14; 10-14; 10-15; 12-15; 12-16; 13-16; 13-17; 14-17; 14-18; 17-18; 17-20; 19-20; 19-21; 20-21; 20-23; 22-23; 25-25; 25-26; 29-26; 29-27; 30-27
Scoring (Diario Vasco)
Barrenetxea IV +28(including 7 service aces) -4(including 2 service faults)
Urriza +23 (5a) -2
Balls in Play: 236
Time of the Match: 73:50
Attendance: 814
Neither Oriamendi2010 nor the EITB on demand full match video provided scoring for this match.
Match article (Diario Vasco)
Match article (Mundo Deportivo)
Match article (Noticias de Navarra) (article contains a listing of previous champions ordered by number of championships won)
Endika Barrenetxea finally broke his 5 match losing streak against Javier Urriza with a come from behind 30-27 win in a Final that sizzled with excitement and tension. He established an early 7-3 lead, only to see Urriza wipe it out with a 6-0 run. The 7-5--7-6 point was one for the ages, 23 balls in play (an amazing number for a singles match), with both players running all over the court, an exhausting point that the Oriamendi2010 match article said may have been sapping for the champion. Urriza then followed with a 5-0 run and everything seemed to be "business as usual". Barrentxea IV shaved the lead to as little as 1 point on 3 occasions, but as late as 23-20 Urriza was still seemingly in command. He held his final lead at 26-25, but then, pretty much against the grain of play for most of the match, Barrenetxea IV outscored him 5-1 to win. The final point was one of the best you'll see, with Urriza racing back to make a great rebote (rebound) save off the back wall (a play that a front almost never has to make in pairs competition), followed by a fantastic "cesta-punta/jai alai" like save against the apron protective netting, only to see Barrenetxea IV answer with a left wall shot to close out the match. After it was over, the two players embraced, knowing that they had given the fans more than their "money's worth." The fans reciprocated with a long standing ovation for both. Barrenetxea IV had finally broken through the "wall within a wall" (see his interview below) that has been his nemesis for so long. It was his first Txapela in this competition. Urriza will have to settle for 4 in succession and 6 overall.
In the matches we have data for (3 for his winners, 4 for his errors), Urriza was +79 (including 22 aces) -9 (according to Oriamendi 2010/Diario Vasco--EITB scoring for the televised matches was different--however in the 2 instances where we have EITB scoring, all individual scoring provided added to the final total, so both sets of scores are included.
In the matches we have data for (3 for his winners, 4 for his errors), Urriza was +79 (including 22 aces) -9 (according to Oriamendi 2010/Diario Vasco--EITB scoring for the televised matches was different--however in the 2 instances where we have EITB scoring, all individual scoring provided added to the final total, so both sets of scores are included.
September 7
Semi-final
Semi-final
Barrentxea IV 30 Endika 25 (EITB--match begins at: 57:15)
Selected linescore (winners always listed 1st)
0-3; 11-16; 13-18; 15-19; 21-19; 21-21; 23-21; 26-24; 29-24; 29-25; 30-25
Scoring (EITB)
Barrenetxea IV +23 -8; Endika +17 -7
Balls in Play: 199: Barrenetxea IV 102; Endika 97
Time of the Match: 59:02
Scoring (Oriamendi2010)
Barrenetxea IV +27(including 8 service aces) -7(including 4 service faults)
Endika +18(3a) -3(1f)
In a match between two best backs on the roster, Barrentxea IV changed the trajectory with a 6-0 run (including 3 service aces) at mid match and then held Endika off until the end, winning 30-25. At bottom, it was his service advantage that negated a 4 point Endika error advantage and allowed a +4 point Barrenetxea IV in play advantage to carry the day. Endika scored 4 points on rebotes (rebounds off the back wall, the most difficult shot in the sport to even execute, much less score on). The match article indicated that some of these rebotes were falling rebotes (where the player falls down in order to get under the pelota), and that the toll they took physically might have been telling in the latter part of the match. All in all, it was a compelling, entertaining match that that showcased their various talents. But Barrenetxea IV moved on, and will now have a chance to break Urriza's 4 year stranglehold on this Tournament.
Semi-Final League Final Table
30 points=4
27-29=2
24-26=1
<24=0
Urriza 3-0; 12
Endika 2-1; 8
Barrenetxea IV 1-2; 6
Ansa II 0-3; 0
September 3
Endika (2-1; 8) 30 Ansa II (0-3; 0) 22
Endika advances to the Semi-final; Ansa II is eliminated
Selected linescore (winner always listed 1st)
0-2; 3-7; 9-8; 12-12; 20-14; 24 (Endika qualifies for Semi-Final)-14; 26-21; 30-22
Scoring:
Endika +24(including 8 service aces) -3(including 1 service fault)
Ansa II +19(4a) -6(2f)
Ansa II needed to win and hold Endika to less than 24 points in order to advance. He did neither after Endika, responding to a slow start and 3-7 deficit, answered with 6-1 and 8-2 runs to establish 20-14 lead at the half-way point. After he scored the decisive 24th point, he withstood an 8-6 run by an opponent who had already been eliminated. Ansa II finished the League 0-3 (63-90) but played very well in the tournament, gaining valuable experience, while scoring 29 aces in the matches we have data for (a remarkable total for any front, even more so for one so young). For the tournament, he finished 3-4, 3-1 against his B Group peers.
August 31
Urriza (3-0; 12) 30 Barrenetxea IV (1-2; 6) 20 (EITB--match begins at: 1:13:42)
Urriza advances to the Final.
Selected linescore (winner always listed 1st)
5-0; 10-5; 11-9; 15-10; 19-12; 30-20
Scoring: (EITB)
Urriza +22 -3; Barrenetxea IV +17 -8
Balls in Play: 177: Urriza 94; Barrenetxea IV 83
Time of the Match: 56:13
Scoring (Oriamendi2010)
Urriza +26(including 10 service aces) -3(including 3 service faults)
Barrenetxea IV +17(including 4 service aces) -4*
*=inferred from the other scores
Urriza defeated Barrenetxea IV in this tournament for the 5th consecutive time since 2016 by beating him at his own game, the service game. He out aced arguably the best server on the roster by 10-4. But just as importantly, Urriza made no in play errors, all of his errors coming on service faults. In the 2 Semi-final League matches he has played, Urriza has made a grand total of one in play error. In this match he got off to a quick 5-0 lead and withstood Barrenetxea IV's one comeback with an 8-3 run to put the match out of reach. The fact that he thoroughly outplayed Barrenetxea IV at his strength should give both Barrenetxea IV (who had clinched a place in the Semi-final before this match began) and the winner of the Ansa II v Endika match, which will determine the other semi-finalist, pause. For Urriza, it means only one pressure match, with rest going in. For Barrenetxea IV it means two, and also that he has yet to penetrate the "wall within a wall"
Una vez más toca jugar contra Urriza todos los pelotaris estamos con ese miedo de que vamos a encontrarnos con u muro en la mitad de la pared.
(as he mentioned in the above linked interview) that is Javier Urriza.
Urriza's point record in his 3 matches was 90-60, an average 10 point margin of victory. In the 2 matches we have offensive statistics for he was +49 (including 17 aces). In the 3 matches we have defensive statistics for he was -7.
August 27
Urriza (2-0; 8) 30 Endika (1-1; 4) 22
Selected linescore (winner always listed 1st)
1-1; 8-4; 14-6; 20-9; 25-14; 26-16; 26-20; 27-22; 30-22
Scoring:
Urriza +23(including 7 service aces) -3(including 1 service fault)
Endika +19* -7*
*=inferred from the other scores.
Urriza not only dominated Endika, but also kept him from any League points, simplifying the rest of the competition. Urriza and Barrenetxea IV will play for 1st place and a Final berth (the loser guaranteed a Semi-final berth), while Endika and Ansa II will play for the other Semi-Final berth. In this match Urriza defeated Endika for the 4th consecutive time in the last year, using a quick start to gain an 11 point lead by the end of the 1st half. He then coasted home. In the statistics he had a 4 point advantage in both winners and errors. Urriza has looked utterly dominant in this part of the competition, outscoring his opposition by an average of 10 points a match on his thus far triumphant march to a 5th consecutive championship and 7th overall. Anything can (and often does) happen, but someone is going to have to play very good remonte to beat him.
August 24
Barrentxea IV (1-1; 6) 30 Ansa II (0-2; 0) 23
Selected linescore (winner always listed 1st)
(Barrenetxea IV 4 service aces) 6-0; 12-11; 16-12; 16-14; 17-15; 18-16; 20-18; 25-19; 30-23
Scoring
Barrenetxea IV +24(including 8 service aces) -2 (including 1 service fault)
Ansa II +20 (6a) -6(1f)
(Scroring adds to 30-22)
Barrenetxea IV won a crucial decision over Ansa II to take a big step toward at least a Semi-final place. It wasn't easy, as the 23 year old who worked his way through 2 round robin Leagues before being humbled by Urriza in the 1st Semi-final League match (see below) gave the winner a terrific fight after falling behind early, mostly due to a barrage of Barrenetxea IV aces. Ansa II answered the opening 6-0 run with an 11-6 run of his own, and then kept the match within 2 points up to 20-18. But then the experienced back took control with a 10-5 finish to win going away. Ansa II, who had 19 known service aces going into the match, added another 6 to his total, but Barrenetxea IV, outscoring him by +4 and making 4 less errors, procured his first +4 League points, giving him +6 and putting him in a great position to advance.
August 20
Endika (1-0; 4) 30 Barrenetxea IV (0-1; 2) 28
Selected linescore (winner always listed 1st)
4-5; 10-5; (Barrentxea IV 4 service aces) 11-11; 11-13; 13-13; 14-14; 15-15; 16-16; 19-16; 21-17; 21-22; 22-22; 23-23; 24-24; 27-25; 27-26; 29-26; 29-28; (Endika's 9th two wall winner) 30-28
Scoring:
Endika +23(including 5 service aces and 9 two wall winners) -6*
Barrenetxea IV +22 (9a) -7*
*=inferred from the other scores
This was the best match of the tournament so far, with at least 10 equal scores and at least 5 lead changes. In the end, it was the ex-front converted to back many years ago, with 9 two wall winners, that overcame a service ace deficit of 4. The winning shot was his final two wall. Earlier, Barrentxea IV had used 4 service aces to help accumulate his first 11 points. A 6 point run gave him an early 5 point lead. Endika almost matched that with a 6-1 run of his own. From there Endika was able to carve out a 4 point lead, which Barrenetxea IV replied to with a 5 point run. Then Endika clawed out a 3 point lead, which he was able to hold on to. This was a terrific match, the two best backs in the modality going toe to toe as if they were in a heavyweight boxing championship match. And at the end, Endika had just enough to get "over the line".
August 17
Urriza (1-0; 4) 30 Ansa II (0-1; 0) 18
Selected linescore (winner always listed 1st)
11-2 (5 of the 11 are service aces); 11-6; 19-15; 30-18
Partial scoring
Urriza -1
The 4 time defending champion in this competition was unimpressed with Ansa II's surprising success and played nearly flawless remonte. In addition, Urriza scored 5 of his first 11 points on service aces, to easily win the first Semi-final League match. Ansa II fought hard, with a 13-8 run in mid-match, but Urriza answered with an 11-3 bookend run to match his 11-2 run at the beginning. The total 22-5 run was more than enough to earn him 4 League points, while denying his young opponent any.
Quarter-final League (in the case of a three way tie, total point differential will decide the winner.
Final League Table
Ansa II (1-1) +7
Azpiroz (1-1) -2
Ezkurra II (1-1) -5
August 13
Ansa II (1-1) 30 Ezkurra II(1-1) 20
Ansa II advances to the Semi-final League
Selected linescore (winner always listed 1st)
13-13; (6 Ansa II service aces) 22-15; 26-16; 30-20
Scoring
Ansa II +25(including 10 service aces) -7*
Ezkurra II +13(1a) -5*
*=inferred from the other scores
In the first big upset of the tournament, Ansa II advanced to the Semi-final League by not only beating Ezkurra II, but also holding him well under the 27 points he needed to advance. And Ansa II did it by running up a huge advantage in service aces. 6 of the points in his decisive 9-2 run in mid-match were aces. The +9 in that department was almost the entire difference in the match. Once he established a big lead, he concentrated on the number 26. And easily achieved his goal. He has played 4 matches and won 3, moving through 2 Leagues. He now joins the "Big League", arguably the two best backs and best remonista full stop, in the modality. It will be interesting to see how he does. No matter how well he does, it has to be said he has had a very impressive tournament to this point.
In the three matches we have data for, Ansa II has 19 service aces, a remarkable number for a forward. And he has shown that a powerful serve is an excellent way forward in the singles brand of remonte.
August 10
Azpiroz (1-1) 30 Ansa II (0-1) 27
Azpiroz is eliminated, despite winning, due to the point system (see above) that gives him no way to win the League.
Selected linescore (winner always listed 1st)
4-9; 7-10; 18-13; 24-18; 25-26; 30-27
Partial Scoring
Azpiroz 7 service aces; Ansa II 3 service aces
Azpiroz won a hard fought bittersweet match. He was eliminated in spite of the win because whoever wins the last Quarter-final league match wins the League (see above). He was in control of the match until an 8-1 run by Ansa II gave him the lead. Azpiroz answered with a 5-1 run of his own to win. The match article said the service aces were the difference. Azpiroz, the experienced back, more than doubled his forward opponent in that category. This time, in a back v forward match, the natural service ace advantage of the back was enough to win. Small consolation, but proof that every point in these matches is important.
Azpiroz had 15 aces in his 2 matches.
August 6
Ezkurra II (1-0) 30 Azpiroz (0-1) 25
Selected linescore (winner always listed 1st)
22-11; 26-24; 27-24; 28-25; 30-25
Scoring:
Ezkurra II +22(including 4 service aces) -7(including 3 service faults)
Azpiroz +17(8a) -8
(scoring adds to 30-24)
Ezkurra II, who has been seeded into the Semi-final stage of this tournament in the past, started this year's Quarter-final stage by doubling the score, needing only 8 points to finish his opponent off. Instead, Azpiroz came roaring back with a 13-4 run to get within 2 points, but that was as close as he could get. Ezkurra II had just enough offense to overcome a terrific service game from his opponent, a back with an effective serve. The first front v back matchup of the Tournament was a fascinating display of the skills of each position.
1/8 League
August 3
Ansa II (2-0) 30 Gokoetxea V (1-1) 16
Ansa II advances to Quarter-final League
Selected linescore (winner always listed 1st)
8-4; 30-16
Scoring:
Ansa II +23(including 6 service aces) -4(including 1 service fault)
Goikoetxea V +12 -7
Ansa II had a great day, dominating from start to finish, as he easily defeated Goikoetxea V to move on to the Quarter-final League
July 30
Ansa II (1-0) 30 Juanenea (0-2) 26
Juanenea is eliminated.
Selected linescore (winner always listed 1st)
12-12; 18-14; 30-26
No scoring information is available
July 27
Goikoetxea V (1-0) 30 Juanenea (0-1) 20
Selected linescore (winner always listed 1st)
9-9; 15-10; 21-12; 30-20
Partial scoring
Goikoetxea V +22(including 6 service aces) -12* (including 2 service faults)
Juanenea +8(4a) -8
*=inferred from the other scores.
The match article speculated that Juanenea may have been suffering from a shoulder injury. Goikoetxea V's powerful offense overcame his large number of errors to give him the first victory of the tournament. An early 6 point run sent him on his way and he increased his lead as the match progressed.
