Amiano Defeats Rekalde: Serie B Cuatro y Medio Result

It couldn’t be. Xabier Rekalde’s dream went out this Friday in the semifinals of the Cuatro y Medio of Serie B in front of his fans at the Dima fronton. The Biscayan fell to Amiano, and the forward from Irún will play the highest clash of the category at home next Saturday. Much more focused, the Gipuzkoan used his cards to perfection, gave the ball a lot of speed and was more successful in his shot. The one who dressed in blue competed stiff and was not the same as always.

For both pelotaris it was their debut in the semifinals of an official tournament. The Gipuzkoan made his debut in September and the Biscayan in the first limited match, so it remained to be seen how they were going to manage everything that includes a match of these characteristics in which there was so much at stake. In their amateur stage they had already faced each other on several occasions, but the ticket to the summit clash had added weight. And Rekalde paid for it.

Playing at home motivated him, but the pressure got the better of him. And the game started well. Amiano got the serve, but he committed a foul and Rekalde took advantage of the error perfectly to open a five-point gap that could give him the necessary peace of mind to break a sweat. It wasn’t like that.

The Gipuzkoan recovered quickly. The ball came out brilliantly from his left foot and he placed his first shot well, so he soon managed to offset the disadvantage. He was clear about what to do and he executed it masterfully. He opened holes and moved his rival well.

Dima’s team held on until they tied at seven. His legs were not working as he would like and his nerves played tricks on him. Ammiano continued doing his thing. Concentrated. His volley worked and he managed to turn the match around. He opened a four-goal gap that gave him the necessary confidence, while it was a splash of cold water for his opponent.

From then on, Rekalde wanted to but couldn’t. He managed to recover the serve but it was impossible for him to make an important attack that would get him back into the match. The one from Irún was more ambitious when it came to going after the ball and the risks he took found their objective. Rekalde had to paddle against the current and his feelings were not good.

He also did not take advantage of the facilities granted to him by his opponent, who committed three more serve faults until the end of the contest. The dimoztarra did not have enough clarity of ideas to raise doubts for the Colorado player, who insisted with the initial play and even surprised him with a two-wall.

Ammiano faced the decisive phase of the clash much more wholesome. Rekalde had moments of lucidity, but he was defeated on some occasions and his rival did not forgive him. In this way, the second mandatory break arrived with a five-point lead (18-13). At the end of the game there was no reaction from Rekalde either. At this point in the fight, Ammiano was aware that if he did not concede, he would have the match where he wanted. He didn’t do it. He knew how to suffer and took some high-quality shots that got him out of more than one trouble. He tempered the nerves and ruined the hopes of the Biscayan.

He will meet his rival on Monday

The winner will have to wait until Monday to find out their opponent in the final. The Business League decided to change the day of the clash between Senar and Murua, initially scheduled for last night in Dima, to Beotibar in Tolosa. The one from Baiko starts as a favorite. They finished first in their group after winning all three matches in the quarterfinals –Egiguren V (22-20), Amiano (22-6) and Eskiroz (10-22)–. The one from Mondragón entered at the last moment after achieving a creditable victory against Agirre, a true specialist, and Rekalde achieving full victories.

In the first match of the Dima festival, Elordi and Erostarbe won (22-15) over Peña II and Ugartemendia in a duel in which the Colorados were stronger at the end. The winners started well, but the power of the blue defender balanced the forces. It was after the tie at 14 when the Mallabia player and his teammate, more settled, tied up the contest.