Image credit: VALORANT Esports (Photo by David Lee/Riot Games)
Team Heretics' lower bracket run continues after they defeated 100 Thieves from VCT Masters Shanghai.
It was a disappointing day for VCT Americas fans as they had to watch 100 Thieves get eliminated from Masters Shanghai at the hands of Team Heretics. Earlier today, the region's second seed G2 Esports also lost to Gen.G Esports, which saw the former drop to the lower bracket final where they will play Heretics tomorrow in a best-of-five.
Heretics will now have to play a best-of-five against G2 to determine if they will move on to the grand finals to play against Gen.G. But first, they will have to overcome G2, whom they have lost two twice already in the tournament. This occurred during the Swiss Stage as well as the upper bracket semifinals just a week ago.
But be that as it may, Heretics showed up today and gave 100T a real run for its money. The VCT Americas first seed picked Bind as its first map with a 1-0 record in the tournament whereas Heretics' record stood at 1-1. In what can be described as a game of two halves, it was Heretics who thrived first on the attack side as they won eight of the 12 rounds in the first half.
It wasn't a lack of trying on 100T's side though as Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk managed to snag an ace in the fifth round to give his team a fighting chance. And it would be 100T who would dominate the second half when it was their turn on the attack side, going as far as taking match-point first as well. But when it mattered most, it was Heretics who clutched up to take the last three rounds in a row to force the first game into overtime.
Both teams would end up trading wins in the first two rounds before Heretics managed to take the next two in a row to seal the deal. Mert "Wo0t" Alkan would have one of the best matches of his life with 319 ACS to go with his 70 per cent first-kill success rate as he secured 10 first kills to go with three first deaths.
Sunset was Heretics' map of choice in the second game given their 4-0 record at Masters Shanghai whereas 100T were 0-1. Heretics managed to secure the first two rounds of the half before 100T took one in the third to make it 2-1. Sadly, this would be the one and only round 100T ended up winning as Heretics took the next nine rounds to make it 11-1 by halftime. By the time the second half started, Heretics needed to win just two more rounds to secure the top-three and they did so without much issue.
Wo0t managed to have yet another stellar showing with Raze again as he managed to get four first kills to go with zero first deaths. He also led the team in most kills with 22 while also having the most deaths with just eight. His ACS for the second game would also end up being higher than the first with 414.
Heretics will now go up against G2 for the third time in the tournament but in a best-of-five series this time. The winner will go on to face Gen.G Esports in the grand finals.
