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Comebacks at the Markina Grand Slam

Beaskoetxea releases the right, while Barandika tries to recover his place on the field of the University of the Ball. / punkra Nieto

Barandika-Del Río and Erkiaga-Zabala react in time and force the third set to clinch victory at the Universidad de la Pelota

The Markina Point Basket Grand Slam, the second round of the Jai Alai World Tour, began with excitement and comebacks. The two meetings were resolved in the third and final game after the winners started from behind. Barandika-Del Río and Erkiaga-Zabala added their first point, but they had to sweat to get it in front of the nearly 700 spectators who gathered at the Universidad de la Pelota.

The response from the fans was good considering that it was the first time that a festival was scheduled at noon. The new concept of a show with music and an entertainer, exported from Gernika, worked, and the tension experienced in both meetings left those present with a good taste in their mouths.

Although the start was not good at all, because in the opening match Barandika and Del Río set off the alarms in the first game of their confrontation against Beaskoetxea and López. The striker arrived after winning the final of the San Sebastián tournament on Saturday and with few hours of rest to recover, while his teammate started cold and with numerous doubts. In just 63 balls, the veterans, who roamed freely, had a 7-0 lead without any good news from their rivals. With such an advantage, they managed their forces well, while they transferred all the pressure to the Blues who continued without finding the formula to change the dynamic (15-6).

With these antecedents, the second game started in which the defeated once again took the lead (3-0). However, Barandika and Del Rio began to enter the clash. The defender from Álava settled down and began to open gaps with his right, and his striker was activated.

They managed to balance the forces and the scoreboard registered up to eight draws from cardboard four. The blues went to more as the game hardened. But the Colorados had victory in their hands and it eluded them. They were placed in the absence of a goal for the conclusion, but their opponents held on and knew how to move better in a limit situation (14-15). With morale through the roof, they took the final tiebreaker set (1-5).

Tighter

Tighter was the duel between Erkiaga-Zabala and Olharan-Etcheto. He fell on the side of the Biscayans because of the caste they threw at him in decisive moments and because the Ispaster striker displayed his magic when they needed it most. The French Basques put up a fight. The striker was very inspired and was the architect that, after practically the entire first game in tow, they were able to smile at the end (14-15).

In the second they experienced the opposite situation. After marching ahead during their greatest with few advantages, things got complicated for them because fatigue took its toll on the defender and their rivals woke up. A cut by Erkiaga from box 9 forced the final set, in which the Biscayans were much more solid and took the victory.

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