Ball: Sweet waves for Laso in the Uranzu

Unai Laso is still riding the wave. Yesterday in the Uranzu of Irun he surfed smoothly, without frights. The sea remained calm. Iñaki Artola, in charge of roughening the waters in the Manomanista champion’s debut in the San Fermín Tournament on 4:30, gave up the goal as the minutes passed. He didn’t really upset the favourite.

The one from Alegia, in need of good results given the competition that prevails in Baiko’s forward squad, presented less opposition than was intended and provided greater facilities than is required today to hold down a Laso on a roll, full of confidence for a long time months and with a packaging of the figures.

Artola added the first goal with a hook. The long exchange of 2-2 was also his. But after taking a 2-3 lead, he suffered in his flesh and in the electronics Laso’s first shot, nine goals. He had already escaped 11-3 in a quarter of an hour of play. Every time Artola looked at the marker, he verified that only the red square grew. The blue one was still stopped, as if it had suffered a breakdown.

Laso later managed that income, helped by the facilities of the opponent. He closed in on Artola 11-5 and was stopped again by a missed hook from distance. After 14-5 came the best goals of the alegiarra. He forced the one from Bizkarreta to request a break at 14-7 after committing a pass in the rally. He cut his deficit down to five at 14-9. However, he was later diluted between plays in which he sold, the rival’s successes and an ending with too many errors.

“I felt good,” Laso pointed out once the quarter-final tie was over and he got through to the semi-finals. «I had completed only one training session in the distance and it was a bit strange for me. It’s hard to get into the groove when you switch from tag team matches to four and a half matches. It’s different, faster.”

Peña II will be his opponent tomorrow afternoon in Elgeta, where the pass to the semifinals of the Navarrese Four and a half will be at stake. “He’s strong,” says the manomanista champion. «I have seen him well in the opening act for couples». Both have the same recovery hours, 48, to fine-tune their machinery. The man from Tolosa suffered a small cut on his left thumb. “It’s nothing,” he confessed. The drops of blood on his pants gave him away. He finished well in the hands.

Laso’s game has acquired the stature of great pelotaris. He hardly makes any mistakes and on those rare occasions he reacts immediately, without losing his head. He worked the hook at the time of the auction. He perfected a tough one from frame three at 11-5. He also successfully used the two right walls in its two versions, air and boat. He defended well. He is complete.

packed in the stands

The manista summer returns to normal after two years of capacity restrictions, masks and fear of the pandemic. The Uranzu is witness to that change. He presented a full house with around 750 balls. With all seats occupied, Baiko put a handful of rides up for sale, so some spectators followed the matches on their feet.

Irun is a traditional square on July 1, the last day of the San Fermín festivities. The ball is still present in people’s plans and entries of this caliber predict a good response from the public in upcoming commitments through towns such as Errenteria, Ordizia, Azpeitia, classics in the summer calendar.