How far will it stop? Baptiste Ducassou won this Sunday, January 9 the final of the Super Prestige, the prestigious individual pelota tournament which is played on the kantxa of the trinquet Garat in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Itsasuar took over Mathieu Ospital, in a finish of rare intensity (40-35). Since his first tournament victory in 2012, it is now at six txapela in Garazi.
– Stephane Garcia
He was playing his third final at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Mathieu Ospital started the game better (6-12 then 14-18), solid on the exercise of the goal (nine winners in total). The two players flatten each other on each point. Little fault, exchanges torn for two of the best technicians of the professional circuit (22-21 then 25-25). But as always, Baptiste Ducassou makes the difference over time. He shifts up a gear, hits harder (30-26) and sets the sights on goal (seven over the whole of the final).
– Stephane Garcia
In the last ten, Ducassou continues (37-29), the gap is made while Ospital cracks on a fault during a goal. But in a last standstill, the Urepel player is catching up. He even ended up on an ankle after a sprain at the end of a rally of 19 strokes. Battitta was just too strong, as is often the case with the noble discipline of one-on-one. Sixth title for him, third failure in the final for Ospital which nevertheless succeeded in its tournament with victories against the favorites Luis Sanchez and the defending champion Peio Larralde.
On the podium, the two players will evoke with emotion the memory of Pampi Laduche. A poster, and a final that will be remembered for a man who was the former coach of the two pilotaris.