The representatives of Huesca La Magia in the Spanish Under-17 Championship that takes place in Villanueva de la Vera won two bronzes, but they could not reach the finals that are held today. They put on a great tournament, offered great matches and proved to be among the best national players in the category, despite being in the first year of it or still under-15. And they even had a choice of more.
Alejandro Gállego was a semifinalist in the individual tournament and was very close to the final and in doubles he also reached the semifinals with Alejandro Yagüesalthough both fell in this case more clearly. Raúl Bergua and Gonzalo Isábal were quarterfinalists in singles with great performances and also reached the quarterfinals in doubles.
Alejandro Gállego yielded in his individual semifinal after an excellent performance. But he couldn’t beat Javier Barrios from Soriano in a very tough match, which ended 19-21, 21-15, 21-17 and which was a great clash of styles, with the Spaniard much more physical and finishing than Huesca, always trying to mature the point from the technique and tactics. He said goodbye without reaching the final, but after having overcome five matches and achieving a bronze medal.
In the quarterfinals Gállego had beaten his club mate Gonzalo Isábal 21-11, 21-18. And before that, in the third round, Marc Guasch from the Balearic Islands 21-10, 21-23, 21-5. And in the second round, the Catalan Víctor Cañadas 21-18, 21-10.
Raúl Bergua and Gonzalo Isábal reached the quarterfinals, which is a merit and, above all, considering that they are still under-15. And Bergua brushed the classification for the semifinals.
Bergua overcame Aitor San Martín with credit in the second round on Friday (21-4, 21-14). Already yesterday in the round of 16 he was facing another of the great promises of Spanish badminton and rival in many Huesca finals, the Balearic Yaidel Gil. And Bergua managed to beat him in a tough match that he needed three sets (21-17, 22-24, 21-15).
Huesca was planted in the quarterfinals and he had to play against the fourth favorite, the Catalan Jofre Comella. It was a very even and open duel. Bergua played at a high level and only gave in the last pointsto which both arrived totally equal (21-17, 22-24, 21-17).
Isábal was also able to reach those quarterfinals. He won on Friday in the second round against Valencian Quique Gil 21-14, 21-17. In the second round he met another of the regulars of the national teams, Ismael Oballe (7). Isábal played a fantastic match to beat his rival after another tough duel that he needed all three sets. (21-11, 16-21, 21-15). And already in the quarterfinals he would meet his partner Alejandro Gállego.
Alejandro Yagües had fallen in the first round against Asturian Alejandro Valdés 22-20, 15-21, 21-16.
In doubles Gállego and Yagües fell in the semifinals, already without the right rhythm due to the accumulation of matches. They lost to the Balearic Islands Joan and Marc Guasch 21-7, 21-14. Previously they had beaten Alejandro Barcala and Rubén Comerón from Galicia (21-15, 25-27, 21-18) and Biel Mascaró and Pau Sebastiá from the Balearic Islands (21-15, 21-8).
Bergua and Isábal fell in the quarterfinals fighting until the end. The Andalusians Martín Mosquera and Guillermo Nuviala (21-16, 21-19) had beaten the fourth favorites in the round of 16. They did not have their best performance in the quarterfinals and were beaten by the Ibizans Nacho Francés and Ramón Rovira 21-17, 21-11.
