Yandex reach BLAST SLAM VIII upper-bracket final
Yandex defeated LGD Gaming and PARIVISION to secure a top-three finish and at least US$135,000 at BLAST SLAM VIII.
Team Yandex finished the opening day of the BLAST SLAM VIII Playoffs in the upper-bracket final. On Friday, 9 October, five teams played three matches across the first two upper-bracket rounds, with Yandex defeating LGD Gaming and PARIVISION.
Yandex opened with a 2-1 win over LGD in a series that lasted nearly 53 minutes. After dropping the second game, Yandex controlled the decider and closed it out in 31 minutes. LGD’s strongest individual showing came from SumaiL, who recorded 21 kills in game two.
Aurora Gaming sent 1W Team to the lower bracket with a 2-0 victory. The series lasted 131 minutes in total, including a 77-minute opener. Skiter led Aurora’s decisive second game with 23 kills, while Pure’s 15 kills were not enough to keep 1W alive.
Yandex then completed a 2-1 reverse sweep against PARIVISION. PARIVISION took the first game after 55 minutes, but Yandex answered in a 52-minute second game and won the decider after 63 minutes. Watson led the comeback with 21 kills, 15 assists and two deaths. Yandex now have a day off, a guaranteed top-three finish and at least US$135,000. PARIVISION will meet 1W, while LGD face the loser of Team Spirit versus Aurora in the lower-bracket quarterfinals.
ColdMath take
Yandex have already secured a top-three finish and a day of rest before the upper-bracket final. Their comeback against PARIVISION showed they can recover from a slow start in long, late-game series.
The next lower-bracket matches are PARIVISION vs 1W Team and LGD Gaming vs the loser of Team Spirit–Aurora.
Pick an outcome. Trade it beside the story.
Source: GosuGamers