The final four teams remain for the VCT Masters Tokyo.
It was another entertaining day at the VCT Masters Tokyo with two top match-ups in the form of NRG versus Team Liquid as well as EDward Gaming against Paper Rex. And when the dust settled, it was both NRG and Paper Rex who pulled through with 2-1 results in the lower bracket quarterfinals. Both teams went through similar routes to victory, having gone through overtime in the first map, losing the second, and then going on to win the decisive last match.
With both Liquid and EDG now out of the tournament, many will be sorry to see the latter gone given how well they've performed since the group stage. EDG has been seen as one of the tournament sweethearts due to their 'never say die' attitude that allowed them to eliminate championship-calibre squads like NAVI and LOUD. And while it was Liquid who sent EDG to the lower bracket, the EMEA League champions suffered at the hands of two VCT Americas teams like NRG and Evil Geniuses.
The VCT Masters Tokyo is now in the final stages of the tournament with the upper bracket final as well as the lower bracket semifinal happening tomorrow. Fnatic and EG will start the day off followed by PRX and NRG later in the day.
NRGThe first map on Haven, chosen by NRG, had a chaotic start with both teams trading rounds at the start before Team Liquid managed to attain some control to lead 8-4 into halftime. However, NRG would bounce back in the second half with their own 8-4 scoreline, which also includes six diffuses. This forced the teams to go into overtime, which NRG won convincingly in two straight rounds.
Liquid would bounce back in game two, asserting its dominance from the start on Ascent with a 7-5 scoreline at halftime. This included a three- and four-round win streak in the first half to keep their tournament hopes alive. The EMEA squad would also come out of the gates swinging in the second half, taking six of the nine rounds to ensure the series goes all the way to three games.
For the last match on Split, it was finally NRG's turn to take control of the series, being able to win eight of the first 12 rounds. This includes a five-round win streak that saw NRG fully assert themselves in the match. The second half wasn't any kinder for Liquid as NRG smelled blood in the water and got the job done in the last three rounds to secure a convincing victory.
And while it was a great performance from NRG as a whole, they did have a hard time dealing with the likes of Ayaz "nAts" Akhmetshin and Saif "Sayf" Jabraeel, who were arguably Liquid's best duo in the series. Thankfully, NRG had the likes of Victor "Victor" Wong and Sam "s0m" Oh to fall back on.
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EDward GamingThe first map between Paper Rex and EDward Gaming was on Fracture with it being the Chinese squad's choice. And it was also EDG who started the series well, being able to contain PRX's aggressive advances in the first 12 rounds to lead 8-4 at the break. EDG would then win the first three games of the second half, putting themselves to within two rounds of winning the first map. However, PRX was able to rally together and fight back with eight straight rounds of their own. While EDG did manage to win the last round and send it to overtime, it was PRX who got the better of them in two straight rounds to end the first match.
But on PRX's map choice of Split for the second match, it would be EDG who came out on top, even if it didn't look that way in the first half. EDG wound up winning four rounds in a row early in the first half before PRX came back to even things up at 6-6. But the second half saw a different side of EDG, one that was absolutely dominant in winning seven of the last 10 rounds to send it to the third and final map.
And on the last map of Lotus, it was finally PRX's turn to take control. Starting on the defensive side, PRX was able to keep EDG at arm's length for most of the first half. This led to EDG winning just four of the 12 rounds while PRX was able to set themselves up nicely to start the second half. They would then go on to showcase their signature aggressive plays when on the offensive, which saw them take the last four rounds to seal the series.
Both JingYing "Jinggg" Lim and Ahmad Khalish Rusyaidee "d4v4i" bin Nordin were PRX's best performers of the series. The former had the most kills in the series with 65, earning him the highest average combat score (ACS) of 273. As for d4v4i, the IGL was calm, composed, and clutch when it mattered most, leading the team to a decisive victory against one of the tournament darlings.
The VCT Masters Tokyo will be back tomorrow for the upper bracket final as well as the lower bracket semifinal!
