COMPLETE COVERAGE OF IPARRALDE (NORTH BASQUE) CESTA PUNTA SUMMER PRO TOUR (INCLUDES LINKS TO 22 FULL MATCH VIDEOS)
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF IPARRALDE (NORTH BASQUE) CESTA PUNTA PRO TOUR/FFPB (FEDERATION FRANCAISE DE PELOTA BASQUE) SPRING TOURNAMENTS (INCLUDES LINKS TO 4 FULL MATCH VIDEOS)
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF JAI ALAI WORLD TOUR (HEGOALDE--SOUTH BASQUE) SUMMER SEASON (INCLUDES LINKS TO 24 FULL MATCH VIDEOS)
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Fronton Mexico's short 2019 season began on May 3 and ended on June 30. It was made up of 4 sets of two tournaments, an "A" tournament (Premier League) and a "B" tournament (National League). The 4th Premier League Tournament was abandoned due to injuries and replaced by two "Duels of the Titans", different combinations of Goikoetxea, (Aritz) Erkiaka, Lopez, and Irastorza.
FM Roster
Each tournament was played over the course of two weekends, the first weekend a preliminary round, the second a semi-final and final. Tournaments contained either 4 or 6 pairs. After the first 4 tournaments, a 5th tournament, a tournament among the highest ranking players, was held to crown two "Champion of Champions" winners. This was held the weekend of June 28-30. The winners of the Premier League won the Copa Moises Cosio Trophy.
Parts or all of each Tournament were streamed live via Fronton Mexico Facebook. For those who miss the live transmissions, the matches are available on demand at the Facebook site.
Note: as of July 3, 2019, all matches from Tournament 2-5 have been uploaded to the FM Youtube site. For this final Tournament, Youtube addresses will be given, as they are more easily accessible. For the previous tournaments, I will leave the Facebook addresses as they are, but add this note to the blog pages.
Final Player rankings (and explanation of rankings)
Injury report:
June 22, 2019
Julien Ihitsague (back) was injured when hit by a throw, and further injured by an awkward fall after the first injury. The match he was in was suspended at the time of the injury. He returned for the June 28-30 matches.
Eric Irastorza (back) appeared to suffer or aggravate a leg injury in the "Duel of the Titans" match. He missed the 2nd Premier League exhibition on June 23. He returned for the June 28-30 matches
June 9, 2019
Txabi Inza (back) was injured and forced to retire from the Premier Final in mid-match with a leg injury. He was replaced by National League player Eduardo Cordova. He returned for the June 28-30 matches
June 8, 2019
Jean Olharan (front) suffered a forearm injury in his Premier League match with Lopez v Olha-Irastorza (with the match at 15-14 O-L. He missed O-L's Final v Goikoetxea-Ekhi on June 9. He returned for the June 28-30 matches.
April 26, 2019
Ludovic Laduche (front) (Internationaux Cesta Punta) suffered an ankle ligament injury (Fronton Mexico) in the 2nd set of the FFPB Cesta Punta Pro-Am Final (Cesta Punta Pro Tour Youtube). He will miss the entire 2 month Fronton Mexico season. He has been replaced by Angel Egea (Fronton Mexico), ex-Miami Jai Alai player. It is unknown at this time whether Laduche will be able to play in the Summer Partidos in the Basque Country.
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Tournament 1
Tournament 2
Tournament 3
Tournament 4
Champion of Champions Tournament
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The final three days of the Fronton Mexico Season were filled to the brim with action. Goikoetxea-Lopez were called upon to play 3 matches in 3 days, and at the end of the weekend, were no worse off for wear. They won the Copa Moises Cosio Championship after two hotly contested matches with (Aritz) Erkiaga-Irastorza (3 sets) in the semi-final and Olharan-Inza (2 sets) in the final. Overall, Goikoetxea was 8-4 in Tournament play (with a championship with National League player Julien Del Rio in the 1st Tournament), and 9-6 overall. Lopez finished 6-5 in Tournament play (with a Championship in the 3rd Tournament with Olharan and then Olha, who replaced Olharan for the final after he suffered an injury), and 12-7 overall, including a quickly arranged 15 point partido set up after the Olharan injury where Lopez played the front with Irastorza in the back. It was a great treat for Cesta Punta fans to see so much of the great Premier League puntistas.
On the National League side, Julian Del Rio made the greatest impression. roaring out of the chute in the first Tournament to win the Premier League title mentioned above, and then winning the National League Final with a thrilling 3 set triumph (5-4 in the tie breaker) with Ochoa against Inclan-Ihitsague. He finished 9-3 with 3 tournament wins (T1 Premier with Goikoetxea v (Aritz) Erkiaga-Portet; T2 with Juan Leon v Ochoa-Portet). Del Rio began the season with 6 consecutive wins before he cooled off, but then came back strong at the end. Ochoa also had a very productive tournament finishing 6-5 in Tournament play (with a championship in T1 with Perez v Ortega-Ihitsague), and 7-5 overall. On June 29, the first match was a semi-pro tournament final in which Fidel-Osorno defeated Safont (56 years old)-Nabor (64) 30-29 when Fidel and Osorno made almost impossible rebote saves back to back to keep the final point going. Their team won soon after. This was one of the greatest moments in a tournament dominated by some of the best puntistas to ever tie on a cesta.
You can see that point here (Jai Alai y Mas Facebook).
The final point (Jai Alai Mexico Youtube--the video is cued to begin at the point).
Finally, selected "Dual of the Titans" matches were shown live on ESPN Mexico.
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Premier League
June 30
FINAL
Goikoetxea-Lopez 2 Olharan-Inza 0 (Fronton Mexico Youtube Full match video--video is cued to the beginning of the match)
(15-11, 15-13) (30-24)
Match article (Jai Alai y Mas--Fernando Sierra Felgueres)
Match article (Fronton Mexico)
Match statistics (my judgments, yours may be different)
First set:
Goikoetxea +6 -2; Lopez +2 -1
Olharan +6 -2; Inza +2 -5
Second set:
Goikoetxea +6 -1; Lopez +3 -3
Olharan +6 -0; Inza +3 -6
Total:
Goikoetxea +12 -3; Lopez +5 -4
Olharan +12 -2; Inza +5 -11
Balls in Play: Set 1: 231; Set 2: 192--Total 423
Annotated complete linescore: Rather than give an impressionistic view of the overall match, I decided to try my hand at close, point by point narrative. Hopefully you will find it entertaining, and perhaps useful in helping determine what the "magic dust" that makes players great is made of.
Key: Server G=Goikoetxea; O=Ohlaran; number of balls in play; score (winner of match--G-L always listed first); Player G, L, O, I. (winner + or error -); comment:
cortada=low blistering sidearm throw, usually from right to left, designed to beat the defense to the left wall and then either pass or carom back outside, splitting the defense--it is Goikoetxea's go to throw, almost impossible to defend because of the tremendous speed and low angle with which he throws it.
chic-chac=long shot that hits the floor and then back wall and angles out too low to be returned--extremely difficult on a concha (court) as long (8 meters longer than any other) as this one
chula=like a chic-chac only the pelota hits the wall first, not the floor
two wall= shot that usually banks off the left wall to the front wall, out onto the apron and into the mesh that protects the fans before the opponent can get it. But can also be thrown front wall to left wall to angle back outside, or from the front wall high and kissing the left wall deep near the back wall
passing shots=exactly what it says, an attempt to pass the opponent, can be inside, outside, high, of high off the front wall ("big bounce")
Errors usually are of two varieties: dropped catches or throws that are too low, too high, or fly off the concha. Service errors can be "over serves" (server gets one "pasa" per point where he gets a second serve) or "under serves" (too short, an immediate fault and loss of point). Serve must hit the wall and land between the 4 and 7 line. Carom serves (left to front wall) are permitted at FM.
O-I win the toss and serve:
Set 1
O; 4; 1-0; I-; dropped catch
G; 17; 2-0; I-; dropped catch
G; 20; 2-1; O+; long passing shot
O; 6; 3-1; I-; dropped catch
G; 11; 4-1; L+; left pass from the 14
G; 5; 5-1; I-; dropped catch
G; 5; 6-1; G+; cortada
G; 13; 7-1; G+; left pass
G; 9; 8-1; O-; tries two wall, throws too low
G; 10; 8-2; O+; left pass
O(pasa); 13; 8-3; O+; deep pass
O; 21; 8-4; O+; left pass (I believe the ball actually broke, G-O argued for a replay, to no avail)
O; 13; 8-5; O+; chic-chac
O(pasa) 8; 9-5; G+; chic-chac
G; 5; 10-5; O-; cortada into the lower front pad
G; 4; 10-6; I+; outside pass
O(pasa); 4; 11-6; L+; cortada (cortadas from a back court player are fairly rare; Lopez is one of the best at this).
G; 2; 11-7; I+; outside pass
O; 5; 11-8; G-; throws off the concha
O; 8; 12-8; G+; chic-chac (always the mark of a champion; follows an error with a brilliant winner and with a touch shot to boot, the quickest way to stop the opponents possible momentum due to the error)
G; 7; 13-8; I-; dropped catch off the left wall, not easy, but one Inza should have caught
G; 4; 13-9; L-; dropped catch at the back wall, again not easy, but Lopez, during this entire match, was catching everything in sight. It was his only error of the set. An absolute stone wall on defense.
O; 11; 13-10; O+; two wall
O; 6; 14-10; G+; deep pass
G(pasa); 4; 14-11 G-; dropped catch
O 16; 15-11; G+; cortada (quite a finisher, a long and hotly contested point, until Goikoetxea ends it with his go to throw, something to leave O-I thinking about as they leave the concha)
231 balls in play
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Set 2
Goikoetxea serves
G; 6; 0-1; I+; chula; (a magnificent throw by Inza, particularly on this concha, and especially after his difficulties in the first set; another mark of a champion, a short memory and large store of confidence)
O; INTERFERENCE--REPLAY THE POINT
O; 13; 0-2; I+; big bounce over Lopez
O; 6; 1-2; I-; goes for the winner with a long one to the outside, throws it off the concha
G; 2; 1-3; O+ 2 wall (this was a classic "quick kill", caused by... not the best serve from Goikoetxea, which did not clear the front defender). A player like Olharan's eyes will light up when opportunities like this present themselves, and, though he doesn't always convert, he did this time. Actually, at this level, this might be seen as a service "error", though not a fault. Goikoetxea, throughout the season, served magnificently and with great power. This was an anomaly.
O 12; 2-3; L+; cortada from the 13; Lopez didn't do a lot of scoring in this match. He is capable of over 10 winners in a match--which he has done on many occasions at FM in the last 3 seasons--an extraordinary amount for a back). Tonight he was fairly content to play lights out defense, but this was a back breaker. When you have just taken advantage of a not great serve from the best player in the world, and you are off to a hot start that portends a tie-breaker, your team is riding a wave of confidence. And then, after a long struggle, Lopez pulls this arrow out of his quiver. A message sent.
G; 10; 2-4; L- dropped catch (oops?!--happens to the very best of them)
O(pasa); 7; 2-5; L- looks for the outside winner, throws off the concha
O; 5; 2-6; G-; two wall low into the front pad
O; 7; 2-7; O+; rebote (rebound off the back wall) pass (and Olharan sends a message of his own.) Frankly G-L looked pretty gassed to me at this point, perhaps all the matches had finally caught up with the veteran pair...
O; 12; 3-7; G+; cortada from the apron (and this is why Goikoetxea is the best in the business... his team down and out, and now locked in another long struggle of a point, and he pulls off a great throw to stanch the bleeding)
G; 1; 4-7; G+; a service ace
G(pasa); 11; 5-7; L+; cortada; after a Goikoetxea blistering cortada was caught and returned on a fantastic play at the left wall by Olharan. Can anything be more deflating than that?
G; 3; 6-7; G+; left pass; Gokoetxea kills this point at the first opportunity.
G; 2; 6-8; L-; dropped catch
O; 6; 7-8; I-; dropped catch (it appeared Inza lost this ball in the lights)
G; 7; 8-8; I-; dropped catch
G;5; 9-8; I-; throws into the upper pad
G; 5; 10-8; G+;cortada from the apron
G; 6; 10-9; O+; chic-chac
O; 9; 10-10; I+; big bounce left over Lopez
O; 4; 11-10; L+; long chula over Inza
G; 2; 11-11; O+; intercepts the serve, left pass past Goikoetxea
O; 11; 11-12; O+; chula
O; 6; 12-12; G+; cortada
G; 10; 12-13; O+; cortada
O; 10; 13-13; G+; cortada
G; 15; 14-13; I-; dropped catch
G; 5; 15-13; I-; dropped catch
192 balls in play.
Note that my comments were written while I was watching the match live. This invites errors, and I should have watched the match again. But some of the FM camera angles make judgments difficult because of the quick cuts from front to back. Sometimes even the replays don't help. This probably has to do with the size of the concha. I decided to stay with my first impressions and just copy them out. Corrections are always gratefully accepted. But if this match (and especially the 2nd set) doesn't tell the story of why G-L are the best forward and back in Cesta Punta today, I can't think of what would. What a team. What a match!
June 29
Second Semi-Final
Goikoetxea-Lopez 2 (Aritz) Erkiaga-Irrastorza 1 (Fronton Mexico Youtube full match video--only match on the video--1ST TWO SETS ONLY) Tie breaker
(15-12, 12-15, 5-3) (32-30)
Match article (Jai Alai y Mas Facebook--Fernando Sierra Felgueres)
Condensed linescore (winners always listed first)
Set 1:
0-1; 5-1; 5-3; 7-3; 7-5; 9-5; 9-6; 10-6; 10-10; 14-10; 14-12; 15-12
Set 2:
1-0; 2-1; 2-2; 4-2; 4-4; 5-4; 5-6; 6-6; 6-7; 7-7; 7-9; 8-9; 8-11; 9-11; 9-12; 11-12; 11-14; 12-14; 12-15
Tie breaker:
0-1; 4-1; 4-3; 5-3
Scoring (my judgments, yours may be different)
Set 1:
Goikoetxea +7 -3; Lopez +1 -0
Erkiaga +6 -3; Irastorza +3 -4
Set 2:
Erkiaga +7 -1; Irastorza +4 -2
Goikoetxea +6 -2; Lopez +3 -2
Tie breaker:
Goikoetxea +1 -0; Lopez +3 -0
Erkiaga +2 -0; Irastorza +1 -1
Total:
Goikoetxea +14 -5; Lopez +7 -2
Erkiaga +15 -4; Irastorza +8 -7
Balls in play: Set 1: 145; Set 2: 181; Tie breaker: 60: Total: 386.
This match was a play in 3 acts. 1: With the exception of the first point of the match, G-L led throughout the 1st set and and almost halfway through the second set. They opened a 5-1 lead with the help of 1 Lopez and 4 Goikoetxea winners. Two winners by Erkiaga were followed by errors by Irastorza and Erkiaga. 7-3.An Erkiaga winner and Goikoetxea dropped catch were immediately followed by an Erkiaga fault (on a very close call) and Goikoetxea winner: 9-5. Irastorza had a big bounce winner followed by a missed rebote. 10-6. 4 straight winners (3 by Erkiaga) tied the set at 10. Dropped catches by Irastorza and Erkiaga were sandwiched around a Goikoetxea bullet cortada: 13-10. A Goikoetxea winner, followed by a fault and an Irastorza winner made it 14-12. Goikoetxea then closed the set out with a very nice chic-chac. 15-12. With a liberal dose of help, G-L were able to maintain most of their early lead to win. E-I had their chances, but their 7 errors were too much to overcome.
The second set was even until Irastorza dropped 2 consecutive catches. 4-2. An Erkiaga winner and Goikoetxea dropped catch evened the score. Goikoetxea followed a winner with a dropped catch. 5-5. A two wall big bounce by Irastorza finally gave E-I the lead. A Goikoetxea winner tied the score at 6. At 7-7 a Lopez dropped catch followed by an Erkiaga two wall at the end of a 15 ball point, the point of the match, gave E-I a 9-7 lead. An Irastorza passing shot and Erkiaga cortada gave E-I an 11-8 advantage. The teams pretty much split points after that until Erkiaga put the set away with an outside pass. Erkiaga's +7 and Irastorza's turn around from the first set contributed greatly to the win.
E-I started the tie breaker positively with an Erkiaga two wall. But then G-L took over, with Lopez scoring 3 winners sandwiched around a Goikoetxea two wall for a 4-1 lead. But winners by Erkiaga and Irastorza (the latter finishing a 15 ball point), put E-I right back in it. An Irastorza dropped catch ended E-I's hopes for a championship. It was an excellent match with a great deal of tension and excitement, though not without flaws. Irastorza got off to a slow start but really hit his stride later. The final drop seemed to really go against the flow of how he was playing when it happened. The 7-8--7-9 point in the second set was as good a point as you will see. 14 points that took 10 or more balls in play gives another indication of how hard fought the match was.
June 28
1st Semi-final
Olharan-Inza 2 Olha-Ekhi 0 (ESPN Mexico via Fronton Mexico full match video--video is cued to the beginning of the match)
(15-14, 15-11) (30-25)
For the 2nd weekend in a row ESPN Mexico picked up the FM feed and gave the Premier League matches much wider exposure. For our purposes, it means much less muffled sound than what we have become accustomed to in these transmissions, and a better overall viewing experience. As far as the match was concerned, O-I both came back from injuries which, though the sets were closely contended, showed that they were not much worse for wear due to the injuries or the layoffs.
(Aritz) Erkiaga-Lopez 2 Goikoetxea-Irastorza 0 (ESPN Mexico via Fronton Mexico Youtube full match video--video is cued to the beginning of the match)
(15-9, 15-11) (30-20) (Exhibition "Dual of the Titans" match).
This was ESPN's marquee match, which was unfortunate because it had no meaning (competitive or monetary) within the context of the Tournament matches that would determine the Copa Moises Cosio. All it meant was that some combination of these players would be forced to play 3 matches in 3 nights to win the tournament. There was also a risk that one or more players might be injured (Irastorza was returning from an injury in last week's final). If that happened, it could be ruinous for the Premier League matches the next 2 nights. But, of course, the show had to go on, as most sports these days bow to the demands of TV exposure. CP/JA is, of course, one of the sports that needs the exposure most. Luckily, everyone played, no one was injured, and FM dodged a large bullet. I did not watch this match. The match article praised the play of Erkiaga and Lopez, saying they completely outclassed their opponents.
Match article (Jai Alai y Mas Facebook----Fernando Sierra Felgueres)
National League
June 30
FINAL
Ochoa-Del Rio 2 Inclan-Ihitsague 1 (Fronton Mexico Youtube full match video--video is cued to the beginning of the match)
(9-15, 15-10, 5-4) (29-29)
Match article (Jai Alai y Mas--Fernando Sierra Felgueres)
Match article (Fronton Mexico)
Del-Rio had a "very bad day at the office" in the first set, making many errors. But he adjusted and was back to his excellent form in the second set. The third set went to the final point, which, unfortunately ended with a dropped catch by Ihitsague, The total points scored by each team reflected the closeness of the match through almost 60 points.
June 29
2nd Semi-final
Ochoa-Del Rio 2 (Angel) Egea-Portet 1 (Fronton Mexico full match video--video is cued to the beginning of the match)
(15-13, 5-15, 5-2) (25-30)
O-D came back from a thrashing in the 2nd set to win the tie breaker and punch their ticket to the final. Unfortunately, the video is truncated with O-D leading 2-0 in the tie breaker after a low throw by Egea and dropped catch by Portet.
Match article (Jai Alai y Mas Facebook--Fernando Sierra Felgueres)
June 28
1st Semi-final
Inclan-Ihitsague 2 Sierra-Perez 0 (Fronton MexicoYoutube full match video--video is cued to the beginning of the match)
(15-9, 15-11) 30-20)
Ihitsague returned from his injury last week. He and Inclan advanced to the final with a relatively straightforward straight set win. It was the last straight set match the NL tournament would see.
Match article (Jai Alai y Mas Facebook----Fernando Sierra Felgueres)
Match article (Jai Alai y Mas Facebook----Fernando Sierra Felgueres)
Finally the match discussed above, the amateur-semi-pro final on June 29.
Fidel-Osorno 30 Nabor-Safont 29 (Fronton MexicoYoutube full match video--Note: there is no sound until 12:43 on the video)
Match article (Jai Alai y Mas Facebook--Fernando Sierra Felgueres)At the end of this match the packed crowd gave the players a prolonged standing ovation, Nabor said it best:
google translate:
"What more can I ask of life if at 64 I can still take a standing ovation like tonight [on the court] of the Palacio de la Pelota?"
Indeed, what more could any of us ask for than the amazing exhibition of Jai Alai/Cesta Punta presented by FM over the last two months? To the officials, judges, fans, workers behind the scenes, many thanks. to the players, who worked as hard as possible on this mammoth concha in this iconic, resurrected, magnificent "Palacio de la Pelota", during each game, and through a sometimes very testing stretch of assignments, Muchos Gracias! Eskerrik Asko! Merci Beaucoup!
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COMPLETE COVERAGE OF IPARRALDE (NORTH BASQUE) CESTA PUNTA FALL PRO TOUR (INCLUDES LINKS TO 10 FULL MATCH VIDEOS)
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF IPARRALDE (NORTH BASQUE) CESTA PUNTA SUMMER PRO TOUR (INCLUDES LINKS TO 22 FULL MATCH VIDEOS)
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF IPARRALDE (NORTH BASQUE) CESTA PUNTA PRO TOUR/FFPB (FEDERATION FRANCAISE DE PELOTA BASQUE) SPRING TOURNAMENTS (INCLUDES LINKS TO 4 FULL MATCH VIDEOS)
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF JAI ALAI WORLD TOUR (HEGOALDE--SOUTH BASQUE) SUMMER SEASON (INCLUDES LINKS TO 24 FULL MATCH VIDEOS)
==================================
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF IPARRALDE (NORTH BASQUE) CESTA PUNTA FALL PRO TOUR (INCLUDES LINKS TO 10 FULL MATCH VIDEOS)
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF IPARRALDE (NORTH BASQUE) CESTA PUNTA SUMMER PRO TOUR (INCLUDES LINKS TO 22 FULL MATCH VIDEOS)
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF IPARRALDE (NORTH BASQUE) CESTA PUNTA PRO TOUR/FFPB (FEDERATION FRANCAISE DE PELOTA BASQUE) SPRING TOURNAMENTS (INCLUDES LINKS TO 4 FULL MATCH VIDEOS)
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF JAI ALAI WORLD TOUR (HEGOALDE--SOUTH BASQUE) SUMMER SEASON (INCLUDES LINKS TO 24 FULL MATCH VIDEOS)
