Team Liquid Upset The Gladiators - Riyadh Masters Playoffs Day 1

We had an action-packed first day of the Riyadh Masters playoffs, and some exciting results have been brewed. Four Upper Bracket Round 1 matches were played, with four winning teams securing top six and the other four being knocked down to the Lower Bracket. If you missed the action, here’s all you need to know!

Talon Esports vs. Quest Esports

Quest Esports came out of their groups in first place, meaning they could pick their opponent for the first Upper Bracket match, in which they picked Talon Esports. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned for the European team.

Game 1 was exhilarating, with lots of kill action throughout the game. Talon Esports could gain firm control of the game, but things got dicey near the end. Despite throwing their lead, the Southeast Asians could still close the game at 52 minutes.

The second game was a total stomp for the side of Quest Esports, as Talon could get nothing done that game. The game quickly ended 31-9 in favor of Quest, and a third game was required.

The decider Game 3 has to be the best match today, as it was a total back-and-forth game with incredible team fights. The net worth graph couldn’t stop swinging until Talon Esports could close the game with great Chronospheres from 23savage. Talon came out of the series victorious and has secured themselves at least $800,000.

Gaimin Gladiators vs. Team Liquid

Gaimin Gladiators versus Team Liquid is arguably the most anticipated matchup of today, as we have the number one and two teams going at it once again. Though Gaimin has a highly positive win-loss ratio against Team Liquid, something finally changed.

In the first game, Team Liquid had decent control after a fantastic 5 for 1 exchange at the top side of the map. However, the game got paused for a few minutes. Once resumed, Team Liquid completely lost their momentum and allowed the Gladiators to come back. Something similar happened in the Grand Final of the Bali Major, as Gaimin could make a comeback and take the first game.

Team Liquid kept their cool and bounced back for Game 2. Nisha was drafted Templar Assassin, in which he destroyed Quinn in the Mid Lane. Nisha got one level per minute until the 15-minute mark, and Team Liquid joined him to demolish the game. It took some time, but Liquid eventually ended the game at 39 minutes.

Again, for Game 3, Nisha was gifted his Templar Assassin, and he was clearly feeling himself on the hero. The same story repeated in the second game, as Nisha was able to have a completely free game to stomp the Gladiators. The Polish star ended the game 13/0/16, allowing Liquid to finally beat Gaimin Gladiators on LAN. This is the first time GG has been sent to the Lower Bracket this early this year.

Team Spirit vs. Team Aster

The third series of the day features Team Spirit facing off against Team Aster. Two evenly matched teams, but the only series of the day that didn’t go to three maps.

Team Aster started Game 1 very strong, as they built up a decent net worth lead to carry on to the mid-game. However, they weren’t on the same page and gave Team Spirit a way back into the game. Aster completely lost their footing and threw their lead, and Spirit knew precisely how to punish them. The Eastern Europeans turned the game around and stole the first game from Aster.

The second game wasn’t too interesting, as Team Spirit completely demolished the laning stage and converted it to a 25-minute win. Team Aster must return to the drawing board and fix their poor performance today, as losing again tomorrow will mean elimination.

BetBoom Team vs. 9 Pandas

The last match of the day is an Eastern European showdown between the BetBoom Team and 9 Pandas. Since BetBoom finished first in their group, they have chosen 9 Pandas as their Upper Bracket opponent.

RAMZES666 pulled out his Night Stalker carry as a surprise for the first game. It seemed to be going very well, as 9 Pandas could build up a 20,000 net worth lead at the 45-minute mark, and they were looking to close the game out. However, some questionable plays from kiyotaka’s Windranger were quickly punished, and BetBoom could make a comeback to win the first map.

In the second game, we got to see kiyotaka on his Meepo. 9 Pandas could show that the lead they’d built up in the first game wasn’t a fluke, as they were able to convincingly dominate the second game, forcing a 36-minute GG call from the BetBoom Team.

We would’ve liked a spicy decider between the two teams to end the day, but we weren’t treated with one. BetBoom heavily outdrafted 9 Pandas with a last pick Gyrocopter to counter the Enigma in the offlane. BetBoom showed a clean performance in the third game and closed out the series, guaranteeing their top 6 placing.