magic inch past 9z into EWC playoffs

magic's stock continues to rise with a memorable elimination of an in-form 9z side.

AW was in immense form, especially on magic's map wins magic have handed 9z a heart-breaking elimination from Esports World Cup, sneaking past the South American side in a long slog of a series with wins on Ancient and Inferno either side of a loss on Dust2.

For 9z this result will be incredibly disappointing considering their recent form, which saw them make top eight at IEM Cologne Major and win XSE Pro League just a month ago.

The South American side were on their way to a top-five spot in the VRS and they will hope this shock doesn't dent their momentum as they enter a busy period of tier-one events.

As for magic , their stature only keeps growing since they burst onto the scene with a top-four finish at PGL Astana. Since that result they have bagged a second-place at Stake Ranked and now can add another top-tier playoff berth to their resume.

The two sides contested a barn-burner on Ancient, fighting out a back-and-forth map where neither team could fully assert themselves. magic relied on sublime performances by Andrey "⁠AW⁠" Anisimov and Nikita "⁠tenzy⁠" Kochenyuk , whilst 9z relied on a team effort.

meyern picks up AWP ace in OT

magic seemed to have finally wrested control late on in their CT half, climbing to a 12-8 score, but 9z picked up four rounds in a row to force OT. magic led the way throughout much of OT, clutches and a Ignacio "⁠meyern⁠" Meyer ace keeping 9z alive, but eventually magic forced the map over the line to take a lead in the series.

9z enjoyed smoother sailing on Dust2, overcoming the stiff resistance of Svyatoslav "⁠MaSvAl⁠" Masko and tenzy on the B bombsite to take a 7-5 lead into the second half. A second round force-buy win on 9z 's CT half ushered them to a 12-6 score.

magic teased a potential comeback, but meyern stepped up with a multi-frag to halt the potential choke and send the series to a decider.

max grabs 3K, but AW answers back with three of his own

Inferno was an incredibly streaky affair, with both teams relying on big CT sides. magic raced out to a huge lead in the first half, AW and tenzy back to their first-map antics as 9z struggled to get going.

A similar story took hold early on 9z 's defense, as they dominated magic with slick crossfires all the way to a tied 9-9 score. magic had a little more left in the tank, however, showing some individual brilliance and an ability to thrive in chaotic moments, doing just enough to clinch a 13-11 win and seal a memorable upset.

More highlights:

• tenzy kicks off OT with triple
• sFade8 4K keeps magic in contention
• meyern 3K halts the 9z choke
• 9z somehow fumble 5v3 in chaotic round
• meyern caps off 3K with classy clutch