A Landmark Return to Miribilla
Following eight months of structural renovations, Bilbao’s Frontón Bizkaia reopened its doors on Tuesday to host a marquee pelota showcase as part of the city’s annual Aste Nagusia festivities. Organizers enabled only the court-level seating sections, which still featured numerous empty seats in the stands, though a committed crowd brought plenty of noise to the Miribilla venue. The opening semifinal brought together Ezkurdia and Rezusta against Elordi and Zabaleta, who entered the competition as the reigning tournament champions.
Late-Hour Substitution Alters the Pairing
ASPE management announced a last-minute lineup change ahead of the fixture, inserting the Navarre-born forward to replace the injured Jokin Altuna alongside Rezusta. Despite the sudden adjustment, the combination of the Mallabia-born Elordi and Etxarren backcourt specialist Zabaleta managed to establish early control and ultimately held on for a 19-22 victory, booking their ticket to the championship match for the second year.
Early Dominance and the Ezkurdia Counter-Punch
The opening exchanges exposed early vulnerabilities for Rezusta, who struggled to reach the frontis on more than one occasion, allowing the titleholders to race out to a 0-4 lead. Elordi and Zabaleta eventually pushed their advantage out to five points. However, a visibly frustrated Ezkurdia—who audibly lamented his own errors—shifted the momentum by stepping up his attacking play. Using precise drop shots toward the txoko and sharp hooks into the open court, he dragged his partnership back into contention as the match reached the mandatory break with Elordi and Zabaleta leading 8-12.
Nerve-Wracking Comeback Falls Just Short
After the intermission, the defending champions dictated the pace, pulling ahead comfortably until they stood just a single point away from victory at 13-21. Refusing to fold, Ezkurdia produced another wave of brilliance. A powerful hook sent toward the open court ignited the crowd and cut the deficit to 18-21. Elordi answered immediately by striking the counter-court to keep the breathing room intact, and though Ezkurdia threatened again, a final shot directed toward the txoko sealed the 19-22 final scoreline.
Next Checkpoint in Bilbao
Elordi and Zabaleta now await the outcome of Wednesday’s second semifinal to discover their opponents in the championship match. They will face the winner of the pairing between Artola and Mariezkurrena II or Laso and Iztueta.
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