Altuna III tests the material chosen for Saturday’s match at the Atano III fronton. /
Altuna III improves his left foot and will play the decisive duel of the head-to-head league against a Zabaleta annoyed by the short recovery time
Forty minutes of testing in the company of Mayor Jon Apezetxea were enough for Jokin Altuna to make the decision. Tomorrow he will play against Zabaleta in the third and decisive match of the Manomanista quarter-finals at the Atano III court in San Sebastián. His left foot has improved and he is in a position to face the clash. «It seemed difficult to arrive, but I am happy because I have achieved it. The last few days the hand has improved a lot », he pointed out.
Massage and rally inside box two. These were the keys for the left of the champion to return to his being. The inflammation has subsided in the area near the tendon and, after trying different studs up to seven times, he managed to hit the key. During the test carried out yesterday, the one from Amezketa warmed up well and executed several shots. He avoided the air game “so as not to force the hand, because I know that in the match I will have to enter more than once and I have to give him rest.”
Although he arrived in perfect condition for the first duel against Darío at Bizkaia, a ball entered him in goal “six or seven, and from then on he had to suffer”. In fifteen days he has managed to turn the situation around and will continue to defend the title. «Zabaleta is a rival who commands a lot of respect and I am going to have a very difficult time. I will have to do my job very well to have options, but I will come psyched up and try to take advantage of my moment.
“We all need days, something that I’m not going to have to play such an important game,” stressed the Etxarren defender
He is aware that his rival will look for his left foot, “but I don’t have to think about that. If the game is very hard, I can be charged again, but for now I’m fine and I’ll prepare for the match as best I can.” However, Altuna III showed his concern because the forced break he has suffered may have caused him to lose pace. Over the last two weeks he has given it “a lot of thought. Since you can’t train, you always have that doubt.”
He admitted that he will not be in full power, but the experience he accumulates in that aspect can help him. “I’ve been through similar situations before. At this moment there is no one 100% because we have enough to recover, but we have to keep going.
“On disadvantage”
José Javier Zabaleta played on Tuesday at the Urbeltz pediment in Legazpi against Darío and will only have three days to recover from the beating he suffered at the time. The Navarrese is upset and believes that he starts “at a disadvantage” with respect to the Gipuzkoan, “because he has had 14 days.” In the last meeting he suffered a blow, but he did not want to go into details. «The Manomanista matches are being tough and you never finish in perfect condition. We all need days, something that I will not have to play such an important game », he stressed.
Despite the fact that Amezketa’s player has been between cotton balls, he had no doubt that he was going to play and he was going to be fully recovered. «I come prepared to face the best Altuna III». The one from Etxarren will have to do “everything very well” to win. He needs to maintain the defensive level shown so far, “enjoy the ball and hit the serve.”
