With Altuna III in front you have to finish the games at the slightest opportunity. Jaka and Martija did not do it this Saturday in the Barakaldo pediment and they paid the consequences. The one from Amezketa and Imaz prevailed by the minimum after coming back from 20-15 in a match with little brilliance in which the winners thanked their rivals for their mistakes. In this way they add an almost unexpected first point in the CaixaBank Masters.
The Colorados had a face-to-face encounter at the key moment but failed to put the finishing touch on it. The Navarrese defender, the best of the game, dominated his field, put the ball against the wall and created gaps for his teammate, but Jaka lived on a roller coaster of hits and misses that, in addition to allowing his rivals to hold on to the game, failed to capture what was being seen on the pitch.
The blues lived uncomfortable throughout the match. Especially Imaz. He failed to measure up to a court where the ball gains a lot of weight in the long frames, and as a consequence of this, Altuna III did not have the prominence that he would like. He was more aware of defending than of anything else and could not shine.
But the confrontation was even during many phases because things did not work out for the Colorados. At the moments in which Jaka caught a small streak, they left in the light (11-8 and 16-13), but Altuna III arrived in time to avoid greater evils.
It was after 16-15, after Lizartza’s man took a good hook, when they opened the gap that seemed decisive. Martija put a ball on the rebound with which they reached their twenties. They were two to go, but it couldn’t be. A ball that fell too quickly from the front and surprised the striker, another from Martija to the side when she had the chance to finish and a plate in a stop to the striker’s ‘txoko’ were three of the errors that gave life to the blues at the peak moment. The man from Amezketa contributed with a cut and a hook to tie (20-20), but the next serve went long. Jaka and Martija were one, but they couldn’t either. Baiko’s man got hooked on a ball on his left foot that went wide, and Altuna was on the edge to put the thrust.
Ezkurdia and Mariezkurrena II
The CaixaBank Masters kicked off in Urrestilla this Friday with a duel of many carats between Ezkurdia-Mariezkurrena II and Peña II-Rezusta. The first ones won (22-18), but they had to make the most of it in a game with a strong rhythm that maintained equality for many minutes. The resistance of the Bergara defender was key for those who wore blue to hold on to the match. Peña II was right when to enter, while the colorados were not as comfortable as they expected until the end. The right wing of the Navarrese defender commanded, but not enough, and Ezkurdia had a hard time finishing more than necessary at the beginning. The defeated came to be 16-15 ahead after more than 500 ball hits, but the Colorados faced the decisive stretch of the game better.
Attention will focus this Sunday (5:00 p.m.) on the Errenteria pediment festival. Elordi and Zabaleta repeat their combination after their defeat on Friday in Bermeo, this time against Altuna III and Rezusta.
2023-07-22 21:55:14
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