Larrazabal & Mariezkurrena II: Durango Fronton Victory

Larrazabal and Mariezkurrena II added their fourth point in Couples this Tuesday, which allows them to continue in the hunt for the first two places that give access to the semifinals at the end of the first round of the quarterfinals. Baiko’s team saved the best for last and achieved a hard-fought victory in a duel in which they only made four errors. The man from Biscay and the man from Etxarren overpaid for a start to the match with quite a few doubts, especially from the defender. When it seemed that they had taken the pulse of the contest, they encountered the brightest version of their rivals, who left their attempt in nothing.

Those who wore blue experienced a different duel than those who had played so far. This time, instead of coming back, they played with the wind in their favor because Aspe’s team had a pretty rough start to the game. Larrazabal and Mariezkurrena II, much more compact, only made a couple of errors until the halfway point and were able to make much better use of their options to finish the goal. The Colorados had to suffer. Zabaleta lost more than necessary, especially with the right, and the Mallabia player had a hard time opening angles on the few opportunities he had.

Tie at fifteen

In this way, the winners reached the first mandatory break with an eight-point advantage (4-12) that seemed to allow them to have the situation under control. But the time in the locker room suited Elordi and Zabaleta well, as they began to show signs of improvement and managed to tighten the score. The striker was more aggressive and moved the ball better, while his teammate gained confidence, although the two goals scored by Etxarren’s goal were from drop shots instead of shots from behind. They went from less to more and began to raise some doubts for their rivals. They managed to tie the duel at fifteen.

And when it seemed like they could complete the comeback, the blues rebelled. Mariezkurrena II managed to put the ball back on a couple of occasions and Larrazabal took a left-footed shot wide without response that gave them a breather again before the second mandatory break. A hook to Elordi’s plate and another well placed after throwing himself to the ground, were the prelude to two perfect saves from the Olabezar striker to the ‘txoko’ that undermined the morale of the Colorados. Berriozar’s defender saved two right-handers to put the end to the game.

In the Serie B confrontation that opened the festival, Salaberria and Gaskue had no problems beating (22-10) Zubizarreta III and a failed Aranguren. The reds added much more as a couple and always had comfortable advantages in the light.