Mano--Torneo Bizkaia de Parejas Dentro del Cinqo Y Medio

The Torneo Bizkaia de Parejas Dentro del Cinqo Y Medio took place from July 17-30, 2016, with 6 competing teams, two of which had a seeding in the semi-finals. The cinqo y medio format is simlar to the quatro y medio, except that the fault line is 5 1/2 instead of 4 1/2 and the serve must be between the 3 and 5 1/2 line. The purpose is the same as the 4 1/2 format for singles matches. Shorten the court and emphasize speed and shot making over raw power.

July 30, 2016:

Final: Bizkaia Fronton (Bilbo (Bilbao))

Altuna III-Barriola defeated Oliazola II-Aretxabeleta 22-16.

Match Article: (noticias de Gipuzkoa)

The winners scored the last 9 points of the match.

Full match video: (Source: IETB)  (Match begins at 1 hour, 8 minutes, 14 seconds on the recording).

MY ARTICLE: Tournament Roundup: links to match scores, articles and videos.

Jai Alai/Cesta Punta--Jai Alai World Tour--Masters Series: Mutriku-Markina

The Jai Alai World Tour, a series of 6 tournaments played in the South Basque, from July 7 through August 13, 2016, finished its fourth tournament on July 29. At the site you will find scheduled matches, results, match articles, rules of the competition, player pages, and how the player points are determined, among other information.

Source for all scores and articles: Jai Alai World Tour website.

At Markina Fronton  (Markina-Xemein)

July 29: 3rd place match and final

Full match videos for both matches (source EITB). Final begins at 58 minutes, 13 seconds on the recording.

3rd place:

Hormaetxea-Lekerika defeated Barandika-Txasio 2-0 (15-12, 15-10).

Final:

Beaskoextea-Amigorena defeated Erik-Aldazabal 2-1 (13-15, 15-12, 5-1).

Match article for both matches

July 22, 2016: Semi-finals

Beaskoextea-Amigorena defeated Hormaetxea-Lekerika 2-0 (15-14, 15-10)

Erik-Aldazabal defeated Barandika-Txasio 2-0 (15-5, 15-6)

Match article for both matches

MY ARTICLE: Cumulative match records for all participants in both Internationaux Cesta Punta and Jai Alai World Tour Summer Partidos through the first 6 tournaments

Mano--Tourneo Parejas San Fermin

The Tourneo Parejas San Fermin was contested at Labrit Fronton, Iruna (Pamplona) from July 7-14, 2016. The tournament consisted of  6 pairs in two groups. A single round robin was played in both groups. The winners of each group met in the final. 

Final: July 14, 2016

Oliazola II-Albisu defeated Irribarria-Barriola 22-14

Match Article (noticias de Gipuzkoa)

Full Match Video (Fronton.tv) Scroll to T. San Fermin Parejas, Irribarria-Barriola v Oliazola II-Albisu 14/07/2016. This is on the first page of videos now, but eventually will drop to lower pages. Simply search, page by page, for the date to find the match.

O-A began the match with a run of 12 straight points, 8 scored by Oliazola II. There was no way back for I-B from that position.

MY ARTICLE: Tournament Roundup and links to match videos (score and match article for every match, full match video for four of the six preliminary matches).

Mano--Matinez de Irujo out indefinitely with heart ailment

In mid-July 2016 Juan Martinez de Irujo was diagnosed with a heart ailment which will sideline him indefinitelty. For more see the July 13, 2016 article in El Diario Vasco: "Martínez de Irujo sufre una dolencia del corazón," by Joseba Lezeta.

Remonte--Ezkurra set to return to action

After being out of action with a calf injury for the last 6 weeks, the great front courter Koteto Ezkurra is set to return to action this coming week. For more, see the July 28, 2016 article in El Diario Vasco: "Ezkurra, el regreso más esperado," by Enrique Echavarren.

Pala--Kirol Txartela Masters Tournament--Players--Tournament Regulations--Schedule--Day 3, 4 (Round 2) Results

The Kirol Txartela Masters Tournament  at the Atano III Fronton, Donastia (San Sebastian) began on July 6, 2016.  It will end with a final on August 17, 2016. The Tournament link above explains the nature of the tournament and how it is to be contested. The same information is also available in less graphic form at InnPala. Basically it is an 8 team doubles tournament, consisting of the entire 10 man InnPala roster along with 6 invited amateurs. The teams are split into two 4 team groups. This is a short court tournament. Each match will be contested to a best three out of five 10 point jokos (sets). Table points are determined entirely by number of jokos won. The league phase will consist of a single round robin in each group, with each player playing every other week. Matches will take place every Wednesday evening. At the end of the league phase there will be a final. Source for all match scores: InnPala Twitter feed. For more information on professional players see the player pages linked to on the right side of the blog.

Note: *=Amateur

Third Day: July 20, 2016. 

Group A: Landeta--Ibai-Perez defeated Gaubeka-Irigoyen* 3-2 (10-9, 10-6, 1-10, 8-10, 10-9)

Group B:  Fusto-J. Irigoyen*  defeated Zubiri-Ayerbe  3-2 (10-7, 10-5, 6-10, 8-10, 10-7)

Fourth Day: July 27, 2016

Group A: Navarro*-Brefel defeated Necol-Andueza*  3-0 (10-8, 10-9, 10-6)

There is some confusion as to who Brefel's partner was. The InnPala website says it was Navarro, who is listed as Brefel's partner throughout the tournament. But both the InnPala Twitter feed and the InnPala Fronton Facebook page say it was Lopez. It is possible one or the other site was incorrect. It is also possible that the twitter feed/facebook page was correct and Lopez played as a sub, but the team is still called "Navarro-Brefel." There is precedent for this in Remonte, where, in the recent Sagardoaren Txapleketa (Torneo Sidra), there were several substitutions during the tournament. However, the teams were named after interests in the cider trade and they stayed consistent, even to the point of substitutes wearing the name of the original player on their back. If I can find out who actually partnered with Brefel, I will put a note in this entry. For now, InnPala is treating the team as Navarro-Brefel.

Group B:  Arozena*-Ibargari defeated Ibarguren*-Imanol 3-2 (5-10, 10-1, 5-10, 10-6, 10-7)

Group A Table:

Navarro*-Brefel (2-0) (3-0; 3-0)--6 points
Landeta--Ibai-Perez (2-0) (3-1; 3-2)--6 points
Gaubeka-Irigoyen* (0-2) (0-3; 2-3)--2 points
Necol-Andueza* (0-2) (1-3; 0-3)--1 point

Group B Table:

Arozena*-Ibargarai (2-0) (3-0; 3-2)--6 points
Zubiri-Ayerbe (1-1) (3-2; 2-3)--5 points
Ibarguren*-Imanol (0-2) (2-3; 2-3)--4 points
Fusto-J. Irigoyen* (1-1) (0-3; 3-2)--3 points

MY ARTICLE: Kirol Txartela Masters Tournament cumulative scores and tables

Main Nue--Player Rankings--July 27, 2016

Main Nue complete player rankings are available on the player rankings page (Under "Main Nue") on the right side of the main blog page. You can also find how these rankings are calculated there.

As of July 27, 2015 the top five were:

Larralde--9350
Ducassou--8850
Ospital--5900--up from June 26 7th rank (4000)
Bilbao--5700
De Ezcurra--5550

Guichandut, 4th place--4950 on June 27,  has fallen to 7th rank (5400) in the latest rankings.

As of June 27, 2015 the top five were:

Larralde--8600
Ducassou--7700
Bilbao--4950
Guichandut--4950
De Ezcurra--4650

Jai Alai/Cesta Punta--Internationaux Cesta Punta--Master 2 Tournament

The 2016 Donibane Lohizune (Saint-Jean-de-Luz) Internationaux Cesta Punta Masters competitions began on July 7, 2016 and run through August 25, 2016. At the ICP website, you will find scheduled matches, results, match articles, rules of the competition, player pages, and how the player points are determined, among other information.

The Master 2 Internationaux Cesta Punta Tournament was held at Donibane Lohizune (Saint-Jean-de-Luz) (1) (2) from July 19-26, 2016.

All match scores and match articles are available at the Internationaux Cesta Punta site. Note: as of February 11, 2017 these match article links no longer worked). I was able to find direct links to match articles. They have been added below.

Full Match videos are also available at the Internationaux Cesta Punta Youtube site.

July 19, 2016:

First Semi-Final: Olha-Minvielle defeated Olharan-Ihitsague 2-1 (12-15, 15-11, 5-4)

Match article

Match highlights

Full Match Video

July 21, 2016

Second Semi-Final: Egiguren-Inza defeated Hormaetxea-Urtasun 2-0 (15-10, 15-9).

Match article

Highlights

Full Match Video

July 26, 2016:

Final: Olha-Minvielle defeated Egiguren-Inza 2-0 (15-12, 15-12)

Match article

Highlights

Full match video

MY ARTICLE: Cumulative match records for all participants in both Internationaux Cesta Punta and Jai Alai World Tour Summer Partidos through the first 5 tournaments

My ARTICLE: SPEED 2 and the courage of Txabi Inza

Jai Alai/Cesta Punta--Jai Alai World Tour--Masters Series: Zumaia

The Jai Alai World Tour, a series of 6 tournaments played in the South Basque, from July 7 through August 13, 2016 finished its third tournament on July 24. At the site you will find scheduled matches, results, match articles, rules of the tour, player pages, and how the player points are determined, among other information.

Source for all scores and articles: Jai Alai World Tour website.

At Zumaia Fronton (opened in June 2016) (1) (2), Zumaia

July 24: 3rd place match and final

Full match videos for both matches (source EITB)

3rd place:

Olharan-Inza defeated Egiguren-Erkiaga 2-0 (15-14, 15-12).

Final:

Goikoextea-Enbil defeated Olha-Etcheto 2-0 (15-13, 15-13).

Match article (final only)

July 17, 2016: Semi-finals

Olha-Etcheto defeated Egiguren-Erkiaga 2-1 (15-14, 11-15, 5-3)

Goikoextea-Enbil defeated Olharan-Inza 2-0 (15-12, 15-13)

Match article for both matches

Jai Alai/Cesta Punta--Jai Alai World Tour--Masters Series: Hondarribia and Gernika

The Jai Alai World Tour, a series of 6 tournaments played in the South Basque, from July 7 through August 13, 2016 finished its first two tournaments on July 15. At the site you will find scheduled matches, results, match articles, rules of the tour, player pages, and how the player points are determined, among other information.

Source for all scores and articles: Jai Alai World Tour website.

At Jostalde Fronton, Hondarribia:

July 8. Semi-Finals

Barandika-Aldizabal defeated Hormaetxea-Amigorena 2-0 (15-14, 15-6)

Beaskoetxea-Lekerika defeated Eric-Txasio 2-1 (15-12, 13-15, 5-1).

Match article for both matches

July 15. 3rd place match and final.

3rd place match:

Eric-Txasio defeated Hormaetxea-Amigorena 2-0 (15-9, 15-11)

Final:

Beaskoetxea-Lekerika defeated Barandika-Aldizabal 2-0 (15-8, 15-9)

Match article for both matches

At Fronton Gernika Jai Alai (1) (2):

July 9. Semi-Finals:

Egiguren-Etcheto defeated Olha-Enbil 2-0 (15-5, 15-11)

Goikoetxea-Inza defeated Olharan-Erkiaga 2-0 (15-12, 15-13)

Match article for both matches

July 15. 3rd place match and final.

3rd place match:

Olha-Enbil defeated Olharan-Erkiaga 2-0 (15-9, 15-11)

Final:

Egiguren-Etcheto defeated Goikoetxea-Inza 2-0 (15-12, 15-7).

Match article for both matches

MY ARTICLE: Cumulative match records for all participants in both Internationaux Cesta Punta and Jai Alai World Tour Summer Partidos--3 tournaments completed