PAU CUP SLAM
SAINT-JEAN-DE-LUZ (DONIBANE LOHIZUNE) SLAM
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This post will keep you up to date on links to full match video scores, scoring, statistics, and match articles (when available). It will run with a no spoiler section at the top, with only the match-ups and video links. Following those, there will be a multiple === barrier. Below that will be the match score, line scores, statistics, and match articles (if and when available). For facebook videos, I will provide complete scoring (my own). For Youtube videos, which are commercial quality I will copy out statistics provided by Canal +, EITB, or CPPT sources.
NO SPOILER SECTION
FRIDAY, 8/25/23: 1ST SEMI-FINAL
LUDOVIC LADUCHE--GORKA SOROZABAL (WHITE) v JOHAN SOROZABAL--DAVID MINVIELLE (RED)
FULL MATCH VIDEO (SECTION PALOISE PELOTE FACEBOOK)
Note: You do not have to be a Facebook user to watch this match. Simply x out the request for your Facebook information.
Note: there is sound but no commentary on this video. You will have to keep score to follow if you don't want to know the outcome. The outcome (scores, linescores, scoring, statistics, etc.) can be found below, in the non-spoiler section. In spite of the lack of commentary and running score, this video, thought not of commercial quality, is of excellent quality. While it features only one camera, that camera is much less static than the camera that was used for the Biarritz (Gant d'Or) semi-final.
In addition SPPF has provided SLAM coverage for the Espoirs (hopefuls--up and coming players) Quiniela Tournament. This match is not played to a set number of points, but rather for a set amount of time (40-50 minutes). The number of teams varies from match to match, but the high scoring team gets the most points (3,4,5 etc.) and each other team gets one less point for finishing in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc).
1st SLAM Quiniela Semi-final: FULL MATCH VIDEO (for results only, see below in the non-spoiler section).
Team 2: BLUE--Emeric Libois--Mateo Harismendi
Team 4: GREEN--Raphael Lubere--Simon Latry
Team 6: YELLOW--Clement Berge--Pablo Ibar
SPOILER SECTION BELOW
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SPOILERS
PAU CUP SLAM 1ST SEMI-FINAL--8/25/23
JOHAN SOROZABAL--DAVID MINVIELLE (RED) 2
LUDOVIC LADUCHE--GORKA SOROZABAL 1
9-15, 15-14, 5-4 (29-33)
Note: there was a discrepancy in the Set 1 score: Cesta Punta Pro Tour and Raymond Cazadebat's Section Paloise Pelote match article had it 10-15. I watched and scored the first set twice and came up with only 24 points and a 9-15 score. I have certain checks built into the way I score. I keep track of the server and the number of balls in play for each point. An odd number of balls play and the same server means the serving team won the point. An even number of points and a different sever means the receiving team won the point. My BIP and server checks made up my linescores. There was an announcer who called out the points, but I could only make the calls out when scores were leveled, as "partout" seems to gee up the Iparralde crowds. On 7-8, he clearly called out "huit partout" (8 for all). There was obviously a mistake but I decided to stay with my scoring, which added up to the total score of my account. I must have missed the same point, twice. In any event, the final is officially 10-15, 15-14, 5-4. Sort of like when a cricket umpire calls a 5 ball over a 6 ball over. The over remains called.
FULL MATCH VIDEO (SECTION PALOISE PELOTE FACEBOOK)
Note: The week ended with a somewhat listless (punctuated by an exciting tie breaker) 1st SLAM semi-final at Pau. And it was perhaps easy to see why. Johan and Gorka Sorozabal were playing their 4th match in 5 days. David Minvielle was playing his 3rd, and the man with the easiest schedule, Ludovic Laduche was playing his 2nd. For the record 43 year old Inaki Goikoetxea and 39 year old Imanol Lopez played two matches on consecutive days and Aritz Erkiaga played 2 matches during the week. Only Julen Del Rio played 1 match. During the course of the summer, in both Iparralde and Hegoalde, Unai Lekerikabeaskoa suffered a serious arm injury that he recovered from but was not at all as effective as he usually is. Xabier Barrandika and Jean Olharan were not so lucky, each suffering a severe injury that will keep them out of action for 3 to 6 months.
It is, I think, a great thing that Cesta Punta is making such a terrific comeback in the "old country", but there is a limit to how much cesta punta these players can play in the summer. The Cesta Punta Pro League and Eremon!, the two sponsoring organizations, might want to think about the amount of matches played and the way they are played. Each of the formats (2 semi-finals + a final and round robin league play followed by semi-finals and a final) are extremely taxing, over 60 matches in a period of about 3 months. While it is great for fans, the players' health must be brought into the equation. Cesta Punta is a demanding sport, and a dangerous one. Sometimes, perhaps less can be more. What I have seen this week is that players have a limit to the amount of top class play in a short period. On Friday, it seemed clear to me that the players in this match were pretty tired.
That said, the Sorozabal brothers, clearly the story of the summer, continue to amaze. Playing with or against each other, they are both terrific budding talents. In this semi-final, Gorka continued his excellent back court defensive play, but it was Johan who really shined. Although his numbers might not show it, he took control of the match at crucial points--the beginning and end of the 2nd set. Down 0-1 (9-15) and coming off a 2-8 drubbing in the second half of the set, and down 0-2 in the 2nd set (due to errors by Minvielle and himself), Johan scored a winner on the 12 ball 3rd point to get his team back into the game. 3 LG errors helped JM establish a 4-3 lead, which they held on to, though never gaining more than a 2 point lead, until 13-12. At that point, 2 Minvielle errors had JM staring down the barrel of a 2-0 defeat. Johan then intercepted Laduche's serve and immediately killed the point. A Laduche error then sealed the second set for JM.
The tie breaker was ugly, 4 of the last 5 points coming on errors. And again, Laduche, who can play spectacular cesta punta, but can also miss on relatively easy chances, threw away the match. He made consecutive catching errors from 2-2, but then produced a great winner at the end of a 10 ball point to keep his team in the match. But his throwing error finished it. A truly exciting finish, but it did not hide the fact that by my scoring, +27 -35 (.435) was the total match score. How much of that was due to fatigue is unknown, but certainly some of it must have been.
Line Scores (winning team always listed 1st)
SET 1
1-0; 1-1; 2-1; 2-2; 4-2; 4-3; 5-3; 5-5; 7-5; 7-12; 8-12; 8-13; 9-13; 9-15
+1; =; +1; =; +2; +1; +2; =; +2; -5; -4; -5; -4; -6
4 EQUAL SCORES, 1 LEAD CHANGE
SET 2
0-2; 3-2; 3-3; 4-3; 4-4; 7-4; 7-7; 8-7; 8-8; 10-8; 10-9; 11-9; 11-11; 12-11; 12-12; 13-12; 13-14; 15-14
-2; +1; =; +1; =; +3; =; +1; =; +2; +1; +2; =; +1; =; +1; -1; +1
8 EQUAL SCORES, 3 LEAD CHANGES
TIE BREAKER
0-1; 1-1; 1-2; 4-2; 4-4; 5-4
-1; =; -1; +2; =; +1
3 EQUAL SCORES, 1 LEAD CHANGE
SCORING:
J SOROZABAL +11 -13 (9 Catching, 4 Throwing); Minvielle +3 -7 (7C)
LADUCHE +7(2 Aces) -8 (5C, 3T); G SOROZABAL +6 -7 (5C, 2T)
FOR THE MATCH:
PASAS (OVER SERVES, 5 ALLOWED WITHOUT PENALTY):
J SOROZABAL 3; LADUCHE 3
SERVE INTERCEPTS:
J SOROZABAL 3(1, immediate kill, 1 error, 1 had no immediate effect)
LADUCHE 8(1 immediate kill, 7 had no immediate effect)
TOTAL MATCH SCORING: (Earned points---[+]winners) Unearned points--[-] opponents errors) (note: this is total match scoring for 62 points. The match had 63 points--see above).
JM +14 LG -15=JM 29 points
LG +13 JM -20=LG 33 points
TOTAL MATCH SCORE:
+27 -35 (.435)
BALLS IN PLAY: 411
NON-ERROR % (BIP - ERRORS) / BIP) (411 - 35) / 411 = .915
AVG. BALLS PER POINT: 6.6
BIP / POINTS
0-4 / 29
5-9 / 16
10-14 / 12
15-19 / 4
32 / 1
Time outs: 0
Ball Changes: JM 3; LG 1
Match Article: (Raymond Cazadebat--Section Paloise Pelote Website). Note: SPPW over-writes old match articles when a new match article is published. Since there is no match article archive, I will give you the Google Translation.
We experienced a highlight of pelota on Friday at Jaï-alai in Pau during the first semi-final of the Slam de la Cesta-punta Pau-Cup; the suspense will have been omnipresent with reversals of the situation on the wire at the end of the second and third rounds. The set had appeal with the Franco-Americans Johan and Gorka Sorozabal in opposition respectively associated with the locals David Minvielle and Ludovic Laduche.
We were of course betting on the duo Johan Sorozabal - Minvielle on the Béarnais side; he will also ensure the best start with a successful Johan on the attack in two walls, balls at the "xula" or unstoppable "back tornillos" and Minvielle turning defensive situations into winning points.
Opposite, Gorka Sorozabal, a perfect reader of his brother's ball trajectories, will regain the initiative helped by a most serious and precise Laduche for a return to 8 and a formidable series of seven consecutive points going from 8-5 to 8-12 . Gorka imposed his choices and Laduche shot in cortada the winning point of the set at 10-15.
The second was going to resume a similar scenario for an equalizer at 7 followed by a perfectly balanced game with superb performances where speed, power technical gestures were greeted by a conquered public. At 14 everywhere, the ticket for the final could be awarded but Minvielle pushed Laduche to make a mistake at cuadro 6.
There would therefore be a "beautiful" (tie breaker). This one was hung on the image of the two previous ones; advantage of two points for the future winners, reduced to nil for equality at 4. Anything remained possible; Laduche held the victory at the end of his glove, he attacked by a two wall unfortunately angled too high and his ball went out of the game limits. Johan Sorozabal and Minvielle will play the final of February 7 against the Spanish duo who will win next Friday, Erkiaga and Del Rio or Goïkoetxea and Lopez, three of the four finalists of the last 2022 World Championships in Biarritz.
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1st SLAM Quiniela Semi-final: FULL MATCH VIDEO (for results only, see below in the non-spoiler section).
Team 2: BLUE--Emeric Libois--Mateo Harismendi 35 points (3 SLAM POINTS)
Team 4: GREEN--Raphael Lubere--Simon Latry 12 points (1 SLAM POINT)
Team 6: YELLOW--Clement Berge--Pablo Ibar 17 points (2 SLAM POINTS)
Note: Emeric Libois of Blue Team 2 was the star of the show, taking over the match about 1/3 of the way through when he was instrumental in a 5 point run, and then a 9 point run that sealed the victory with almost 20 match ups to play. For those who followed last year, Libois got into a couple of Group B partido matches as a substitute, but was quite a distance out of his depth.
Here he made great shots, including several two walls, great saves on the apron, and played an excellent all round game. Berge-Ibar started the proceedings with several early points before Libois got his game going. When the match outcome was still in doubt, Lubere and Latry, who did not have a great day at the office, beat Berge-Ibar in 3 crucial matchups to keep the second place team from being able to get a big run going. Simon Latry played some excellent defense and made some great saves, but unfortunately, his team was not on the court long enough to see more from him. As with most young players, there was some ragged play, but also some surprisingly good passages as well.
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PAU CUP SLAM
