F1KU’s clutches allowed OG to take a 2-0 win over Vitality at the BLAST Premier World Finals. Here’s what the young rifler had to say in the post-match interview.
OG's qualification to the BLAST Premier World Finals was highlighted as a flaw of the system coming into this event. While the original point still stands, OG has proven that they deserve to compete with the best with their win over Vitality in today's match. The Nexa-led squad will now play on stage in the semi-finals on Saturday. We talked to F1KU to get his thoughts on the match and OG's journey so far.
Arnav "xL" Shukla: So, coming into the event, you guys were considered heavy underdogs, not only have you managed to make the playoffs, you have 2-0d Vitality to get to the top 4. How are you feeling about the team's performance?
F1KU: I'm feeling great. I'm really happy that we managed to do that. I think it was a tournament where we really hoped for better results than we had. I think we missed some details previously and now we're in good shape to fix them. I hope we're gonna keep that form.
Our coach just said, "Guys, communicate like we always do." And somehow, we managed to make that comeback.
xL: So the first half on Inferno was really back and forth, but Vitality managed a streak in the second half to get up to 14. Why do you think it took you guys so long to get the CT side started?
F1KU: It's hard to say. I could probably speak more after I watch the game. I think overall, our comms weren't the best. Maybe we were a bit scared or something like that cause we lost a round that we shouldn't lose cause of miscommunications. But then our coach just said, "Guys, communicate like we always do." And somehow, we managed to make that comeback.
xL: So you had some crucial rounds to get that defence going. How did that map go overall?
F1KU: I think the map was really shaky, as you said. We had like 7-2 lead on the T-side, and they managed to come back. They had a winning streak going, and it was 14-7 or something when we started the comeback. But I'm really happy that we managed to do that. I think that we kinda believed after my 3k and 4k, we got our fighting mentality back. We saw that we could actually shoot and we could be competitive with them. I'm just happy we did it.
xL: Again, on Mirage, you were having some great clutches. Like a 1v2 in round 14 and the 1v1 to close the game out. How would you rate your performance today?
F1KU: I'm feeling good. It could be way better cause I can't keep my normal routine going. I always play deathmatch, but deathmatch here is not the highest level, and the servers are not the best. Today, I was playing on the Warmup Server with 100 ping only to practice on the highest level. I think I will still keep doing it, even if it's kinda unplayable at 100 ping, because I know routines are really important, and I hate playing bots.
xL: It's been over half a year since you joined OG. In that time, you've had the Lisbon top 4, the qualification for the major and now a top 4 at the World Finals, with the potential for the trophy still. Talk to me about your time in OG so far and what are you excited about in 2023?
F1KU: I'm really happy that I managed to join OG. Let's start with that. It's a really great experience, and I hope it's gonna keep going. I think our potential is really high, but also, we're kinda a young team. Only Nexa is above average age. the rest of us could even play in academy leagues. I think if we're gonna gain more experience with each other, we're gonna keep fixing our mistakes because it's really rookie mistakes that we're making.
Overall, we have really high potential. We have proven that time and time again. We just need to find our balance and stability, and it's gonna be good.
I think experience is gonna help us a lot with our communication improving. Our English is not at the highest level. It's not our main language, so we have trouble sometimes. But overall, we have really high potential. We have proven that time and time again. We just need to find our balance and stability, and it's gonna be good.
xL: You will be playing the winner of NaVi vs Liquid in the semi-finals. Who do you think will win? And how confident are you for the match?
F1KU: I don't know who will win. It's really hard to say. Honestly, I don't care who we'll play against. I like them both, so I really hope that it's gonna be a good matchup.
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