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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February 25, 2019
Group B Final
2. Info-Garazi Youtube (most but not all points, different camera angle, more of Inchauspe's celebration (and Lambert's despair) at the end of the video)
Selected linescore (winner always listed first) (Pilota Ttiki and FFPB)
0-3; 4-4; 6-6; 22-17; 27-21; 27-27; 39-36; 39-39; 40-39
For full, enhanced linescore (server, balls in play, score, winner or error, comments) see below.
Decades: 6-4; 9-11; 14-16; 22-18; 27-23; 30-30; 35-35
Equal scores: 3; 4; 6; 8; 9; 11; 12; 13; 14; 17; 27; 30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35; 39 (18)
Lead changes: 11
Full scoring: (My judgments, yours may be different--my scoring is subjective and I am no expert at Main Nue scoring, but I will leave it for you to judge below--any feedback will be gladly accepted, since I know there are observers with far more experience than I have, and I can learn much from that experience. I will say this. I tend to favor winners, partly because a + makes 2 players happy, a - makes 2 players angry :) ).
Inchauspe +35 (including 11 service aces) -7; L. Lambert +32 (5 aces) -5
Direct points (xare, pumpa xare, balls hit into the back dugout)
Inchauspe 12; L. Lambert 9
Balls in play: 558. Time of match: about 1 hour 30 minutes (Le Garat Clock) Actual playing time: about 36 minutes (length of the video)
Balls in play--Number of points
1-9--59
10-19--12
20-29--7
30--1 (12-11--12-12)
Match article: (FFPB)
This match was an epic, played in a "cathedral," Le Garat.
The basics. 18 equal scores, 11 lead changes. 558 balls in play. 1 hour and 30 minutes. Pilota Ttiki's condensed match videos are wonderful, but they cannot convey the palpable tension that such a match must have created in real time. It ended with a fantastic winner by left hander Alexis Inchauspe (with his right hand, no less!!), a "Pumpa Xare" (direct point--player hits a ball which bounces into the meshwork (xare or filet) of the side dugout of the trinquet). Inchauspe hit this one from behind the service fault line (about 17.25 meters--56 feet--watch where the Juge Arbitre stands--from the front wall). A very difficult shot, to say the least, executed perfectly. But, incredibly, a shot he had scored with, by my count, 4 times right handed earlier in the match--once from deeper than the match winner (see enhanced linescore below).
Three weeks ago, in the first Semi-final Liguilla match, Laurent Lambert, propelled by an 18-4 run at the finish, easily defeated Inchauspe 40-25. This match was completely different. Inchauspe's 27-21 lead was the largest of the match, and Lambert immediately answered with an 8-0 run including a "xare" (into the meshwork on the fly) and a beautiful high and deep shot that Inchauspe tried to return off the back foot moving away, but couldn't. At that point it looked like Lambert might run away with this match also. But Inchauspe was having none of it, answering with two "xares" and a crisp two wall winner of his own to equalize at 30. The fourth decade was an intense battle, with neither player enjoying more than a 1 point lead, a decade of 5 equal scores and 2 lead changes. It was in this decade that fatigue began to set in for both players and, by my scoring, 3 errors (1/4 of the total errors in the match) occurred. 35-35.
The last decade was quick (45 balls in play) but consumed with tension. It was also spiced with a controversy (perhaps 2) during the 87th point that could have been disastrous to the winner. At 39-36, Inchauspe had victory in his grasp, but Lambert said "not yet" as he answered with a left wall winner, a right wall passing shot (after a no call on the shot, which looked like it might have been too high, bounced eccentrically from left to right, and went past the protesting Inchauspe), and a service ace, to set up the final point. It looked like it might be a long point, but on the 8th ball, Inchauspe executed the shot of the match, to end one of the most exciting, entertaining Main Nue matches I have seen. A great way to end the Tournament.
My accounting of the match is presented below, point by point, for your entertainment. Hopefully I have gotten it right. Again, any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Key: Server, number of balls in play, score (winner always listed first), player name + (winner) or - (error) (+a=service ace), commentary.
For American readers who may not be familiar with terminology
Dejada=soft and usually short shot
Cortada=hard sidearm shot
Pass=passing shot
Xare=shot which goes into the side mesh on the fly
Pumpa Xare=shot which goes into the side mesh on the bounce
Partial Source (Pilota Ttiki)
Inchauspe (black); Lambert (red)
Partial Source (Pilota Ttiki)
Inchauspe (black); Lambert (red)
Inchauspe wins the coin toss and serves
Decade 1:
I, 20-- 0-1 L+ (Xare, 2nd quadrant)
L, 5--0-2 L+ (dugout roof pass)
L, 11--0-3 L+ (right pass, after Inchauspe makes a great save while falling on his back)
L, 8--1-3 I+ (I runs the length of the court to reach a L dejada and passes him)
I, 1--2-3 I+a (I serves into the back dugout)
I, 1--3-3 I+a (I serves off the bottom of the back wall)
I, 2--3-4 L+ (Pumpa Xare--1st quadrant)
L, 2--4-4 I+ (Xare--1st quadrant)
I, 3--5-4 I+ (2 wall--front to right)
I, 3--6-4 I+ (left pass into the back dugout)
36 balls in play; I +6 (including 2 service aces) -0; L +4 -0
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Decade 2
I, 6--6-5 I- (too high into the crowd on the right side)
L, 7--6-6 I- (too high into the crowd on the left side)
L, 7--6-7 L+ (Xare--2nd quadrant)
L, 1--6-8 L+a (two wall serve--front to right)
L, 20--7-8 I+ (I makes a great save to continue the point, then puts one on side dugout roof that L swings at and hits only air)
I, 7--8-8 I+ (two wall low--front to right)
I, 8--8-9 I- (too low on two wall--front to right)
L, 2--9-9 L- (missed dejada)
I, 8--9-10 L+ (3 wall--left to front to right)
L, 27--9-11 L+ (dugout roof pass)
93 bip; I +2 -3; L +4 (incl. 1 ace) -1
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Decade 3
L, 2--10-11 L- (shot hits below front wall line)
I, 1--11-11 I+a
I, 21--12-11 I + (Pumpa Xare--hits inside of second quadrant post--shot from behind the fault line--right handed!--see 39-39 point below)
I, 30--12-12 L+ (pelota hits top corner of side dugout roof in 3rd quadrant, bounces away)
L, 1--12-13 L+a
L, 6--13-13 I+ (Xare--hits the inside of the 2nd quadrant filet post)
I, 1--14-13 I+a
I, 6--14-14 L+ (left pass)
L, Falta Erdi (serve hits back wall so hard that it rebounds past the service fault line, second serve results)
L, 13--14-15 L+ (left pass)
L, 13--14-16 L+ (Xare--2nd quadrant)
95 bip; I +4 (incl. 2a) -0; L +5 (1a) -1
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Decade 4
L, 7--14-17 L+ (Xare from behind fault line--1st quadrant)
L, 7--14-17 L+ (Xare from behind fault line--1st quadrant)
L, 14--15-17 I+ (2 wall (right-front) left roof passing shot)
I, 1--16-17 I+a
I, 1--17-17 I+a
I, 1--18-17 I+a
I, 15--19-17 I+ (2 wall (right-front) Pumpa Xare--1st quadrant--right handed!)
I, 3--20-17 I+ (Pumpa Xare--hits inside of 3rd quadrant post--right handed!)
I, 1--16-17 I+a
I, 1--17-17 I+a
I, 1--18-17 I+a
I, 15--19-17 I+ (2 wall (right-front) Pumpa Xare--1st quadrant--right handed!)
I, 3--20-17 I+ (Pumpa Xare--hits inside of 3rd quadrant post--right handed!)
I, 13--21-17 I+ (Pumpa Xare--3rd quadrant--right handed!)
I, 22-17--I+a
I, 2 22-18--L+ (hits front bevel--straight down right wall)
58 bip: I +8 (incl. 4a); -0; L +2 -0)
Decade 5
L, 11--22-19 L+ (bottom corner first quadrant post--Xare--or just rebound?)
I, 2 22-18--L+ (hits front bevel--straight down right wall)
58 bip: I +8 (incl. 4a); -0; L +2 -0)
Decade 5
L, 11--22-19 L+ (bottom corner first quadrant post--Xare--or just rebound?)
L, 10--23-19 L- (missed 2 wall--right-front)
I, 4--23-20 I- (missed 2 wall--right-front)
I, 21---23-21 L+ (Pumpa Xare--3rd quadrant post)
L, 26--24-21 I+ (cortada to the outside)
I, 9--25-21 I+ (dejada)
I, 1--26-21 I+a
I, 5--27-21--I+ (low left wall--possible obstruction on I, not called)
I, 8--27-22--L+ (left roof pass)
L, 3--27-23--L+ (deep left roof, I--cannot return it on the back foot)
98 bip: I +4 (incl. 1a) -1; L +4 -1)
Decade 6
L, 5--27-24 L+ (Xare--2nd quadrant)
L, 7--27-25 I- (mis-hit into crowd on right)
L, 1--27-26 L+a (serves into the back dugout)
L, 1--27-27 L+a
L, 3--27-28 L+ (Xare)L, 5--27-29 L+ (high deep shot that I, on the back foot, cannot return)
L, 4--28-29 I+ (Xare--1st quadrant)
I, 6--28-30 L+ (deep roof pass into the back dugout)
L, 8--29-30 I+ (I saves a certain Xare by L, then Pumpa Xare--2nd quadrant)
I, 3--30-30 I+ (low two wall--front-right)
43 bip: I +3 -1; L +6 (incl. 2 aces) -0
Decade 7
I, 4--30-31 L+ (left roof pass)
L, 13--31-31 I + (left roof pass--on 8th ball, I hits a 4 wall shot that bounces before hitting the final (right) wall, L makes a great save, but loses the point)
I, 3--32-31 I+ (dejada)
I, 2--32-32 L + (left roof pass)
L, 12--33-32 L- (mis-hits right wall pass)
I, 8--33-33 L+ (right pass)
L, 8--34-33 L- (hits high into crowd on left side)
I, 10--34-34 I- (hits left wall shot too low)
L, 25--34-35 L+ (left wall deep)
L, 4--35-35 I+ (left roof pass)
90 bip: I +3 -1; L +4 -2
Decade 8
I, 13--36-35 I+ (Xare--from the 5th quadrant to the 2nd quadrant--right handed!)
I, 1--37-35 I+a
I, 4--37-36 I- (mis-hit two wall--right-front)
L, 8--38-36 I+ (left wall)
I, 1--39-36 I+a
I, 4--39-37 L+ (left wall)
L, 5--39-38 L+ (high left cross court to right pass)
There were two controversies on this point
1. Lambert's serve hit very close to out high on the right side. Inchauspe did not appeal and play went on.
2. On ball #5 Lambert hit a high shot that hit off the front wall and appeared to hit the railing above the red line at the top front left. While Inchauspe was appealing to the Juge Arbitre, the ball sailed past him on the way to the right wall to score.
L, 1 39-39 L+a
L, 8 40-39 I+ (Pumpa Xare from the fault line into the 3rd quadrant, right handed!) (see 12-11; 19-17; 20-17, 21-17; and 36-35 above).
45 bip: I +5 (incl. 2 aces) -1; L 3 (1a) -0
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Final Summary of Group B Tournament: For full scores and match stories see the dates linked to above, or for just match scores see the "dossier" linked to above.
Player--position (avant-front or arriere-back)--Tournament wins-losses
Inchauspe (av) 4-1--TXAPELDUN (185-137--+48)
L. Lambert (av) 2-2--2nd place
Palomes (ar)...................2-2
Aguirre (av) ..................1-1
Cubiat (ar).....................1-1
Darmendrail (av)...........1-1
de Ezcurra (ar) ..............1-2
Lucu (ar) .......................0-1
Olcomendy (av).............0-1
In matches where front court players played back court players:
F: 3-2; B; 2-3
In matches where front court players played back court players:
F: 3-2; B; 2-3
