Everything is ready for the Bizkaia fronton to meet the first of the season’s winners this Sunday (5:00 p.m.). Peio Etxeberria and … Zabala will play the Cuatro y Medio txapela in a duel that will be marked by speed and in which the Navarrese will emerge as the favorite for the chair. The money will be 100 to 70 in his favor due to the experience he has in playing these types of matches and the solidity he has shown in recent years at a distance.
The one from Zenotz, however, has not yet managed to break his record in the ‘cage’, something he wants to solve this afternoon against a first-time rival in this type of matches, which involve many additions.
The Riojan can be considered the revelation of the championship. When very few expected him, he made it to the summit after it was finally believed that he had enough quality to be there. Last year he lost in the first round against Elordi, and on this occasion he has known how to suffer to get through the matches and showed his best version against a specialist like Ezkurdia in the semifinals.
The Navarrese has also gone from less to more. He lost the wild card that comes with being seeded and entering directly into the quarterfinals with an unexpected defeat against Jaka, the pelota player who has done the worst so far, and had to walk a tightrope for the rest of the tournament. But he grew as he gained confidence and surpassed an entire Altuna III in the previous match.
After leaving two heavyweights in the lurch, both arrive with sky-high morale and the best feelings to the fight for the txapela. They are two different pelotaris but they bet on a very similar game with speed as the main weapon to overwhelm the rival and take the place in the center of the field that allows them to dominate the goal. To do this, they have a privileged left foot with which they are capable of opening holes of all kinds. Their right hand is not bad either, but they will surely seek it from each other because they know that with it they do less damage.
The physicist
Peio Etxeberria is one of the best distance scorers and has a solid rest that gets him out of many troubles, but these are two of the subjects that the Rioja native has managed to pass in time before going into the summit clash. Whoever is able to make the most of these two aspects of the game will have a lot to gain.
Another factor to take into account will be the physicality, because the confrontation promises a tough battle and many fights. If the match lasts longer, they will look for the opponent’s limits, and there can also be gaps because errors due to fatigue will gain prominence.
And the last key to take into account will be the psychological one. Peio Etxeberria has already acknowledged that his first final was great for him because he did not know how to manage it. He arrives more seasoned than his opponent in this aspect and few secrets remain for him to discover when it comes to jumping onto a field that will not be full – yesterday there were about 400 tickets left to sell of the 3,000 capacity that the Miribilla venue has – but that will present a great atmosphere.
Zabala will debut in this aspect, after experiencing the previous fifteen days that he had never enjoyed either. If he manages to remain calm, he will have a lot to gain because it will allow him to face the match focused and avoid unexpected shocks on the scoreboard. The Riojan is one of those who grows under the spotlight and has a good opportunity to prove it. When choosing material, both opted for the most cheerful one they could find in the basket with the aim of not giving the opponent any respite. It will be one more incentive for a summit clash that, everything indicates, will go at full speed.
