Euskal Selekzioa competed in multiple finals during the Basque pelota world championship, splitting four matches on a day reported by diariovasco.com. The tournament staged multiple decisive showdowns across disciplines, highlighting both the dominant attacking displays of the Basque squads and the fierce resistance offered by opposing teams from Spain and France.
Elorz and Lizeaga Outlast Spain in Men’s Pairs Mano Final
The evening’s first victory arrived in the men’s pairs mano final, where Elorz and Lizeaga defeated Apeztegia and Canabal in straight sets, 10-7 and 10-9. Lizeaga delivered an explosive performance as the front-court player during the opening set, generating nearly all of the Basque side’s points alongside several unforced errors. The Spanish pair applied heavy pressure in the second set, holding two set points to force a decisive third frame. However, Elorz anchored Euskal Selekzioa while Lizeaga recovered from high shots that clipped the roof netting, ultimately sealing the championship by overturning a 9-8 deficit.
Erkiaga Overcomes Olharan in Men’s Cesta Punta
In the men’s cesta punta final, Erkiaga defeated France’s Olharan in two sets, 15-12 and 15-7. The Ispaster native added a world championship title to his previous Nations Cup victory with Euskal Selekzioa. Olharan pushed the pace tightly throughout a competitive first set, but physical fatigue mounted for the French player, allowing Erkiaga to pull away comfortably in the second.
Contrasting Fortunes in Individual Mano and Women’s Cesta Punta
The night brought significant setbacks as well, most notably an lopsided defeat in the individual mano final. After Ekhi Irribarria started the match, Gaizka Carregal substituted in when the score reached 8-0 in the opening set. Spain capitalized decisively, winning 2-0 with set scores of 10-0 and 10-4 behind a strong performance from La Rioja native Jorge Fernández. Meanwhile, in the women’s cesta punta final, Spain edged out Euskal Selekzioa 2-0 with tight set scores of 15-11 and 15-14. Erika Mugartegi and Helena Barrenetxea played an intensely contested match that slipped away in the closing details.
Historical Context from the Colonia Finales
Reporting from merito.es highlights that these events formed part of an extensive international schedule spanning Argentina and Uruguay, with specific cesta punta pairs finals taking place at the Frontón Real de San Carlos in Colonia, Uruguay. In those separate pairings matches, Xabier Barandika and Unai Lekerika secured another milestone by defeating the United States representatives, brothers Johan and Gorka Sorozabal, 2-1 (15-9, 10-15, 10-4) to capture Euskal Selekzioa’s first-ever official world title in cesta punta. In the corresponding women’s cesta punta final held in Colonia, Maite Ortiz de Mendibil and Maia Goikoetxea took the silver medal after falling 0-2 (15-9, 15-12) to Erika Mugartegi and Arai Lejardi representing Spain.
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