[SSL] Ro16 Interviews

The fourth day of the round of 16 streamed live from OGN's studio featured (P)

Mini vs

Movie on Fighting Spirit, (T)

PianO vs

Mind on Sin Peaks of Baekdu, (Z)

hero vs

Snow on Return of the King and (T)

HiyA vs

Last on Blue Storm in the fourth matches of each of the four groups.

With three manner pylons in (P)

Movie's base and a crucial snipe on his shuttle with a reaver in it, (P)

Mini had little trouble in the round of 16 so far, much like he predicted. But will he be able to finally break his curse in the round of 8?

Group A:

Mong -

Pure -

Mini -

Movie

You made round of 8. How do you feel?
Firstly, I thought there was no way I wouldn't make round of 8. As soon as I saw my group I knew I would make it. The moment I saw the maps and race distribution I thought I could handle it all, so wasn't it easy?

Is there a reason you wouldn't feel confident about the next round?
In the OSL and the SSL I always got eliminated in the round of 8. The best of five format seems a bit difficult.

You always seem to come up with a strategy that throws off your opponents so I don't quite understand the lack of confidence in a best of series?
I think players like me are scary in a single game. In a best of series the opponent won't feel uneasy about facing me. Even so, I think I may be able to win if I can just get through the round of 8.

You mannered Movie with three consecutive pylons.
I've been told that Younghwa hyung (Movie) has been recently careless about practice. So I thought I'd just prepare a build and play in the moment. Luckily I was able to throw down a manner pylon with my scouting probe. So I played on thinking I'd mercilessly crush the enemy's. It was an urgent instinct so I hope he understands it.

Which match-up do you want to avoid in the round of 8?
Playing a best of five against a Zerg is a bit scary. I hope I won't be facing Iljang hyung (hero) and Honggyu hyung (Larva).

Your remaining game against Mong is a battle for the first place in your group.
I hope you don't expect much from me in the next game. Since I could be playing a Terran on Sin Peaks of Baekdu in the next round I'm thinking of just playing in the moment in order to not reveal my strategy.

It sounds like you think you will be able to win if you can only get past the next round.
I am confident in my abilities but I am scared about the best of five format. If I can leave these feelings behind in the round of 8 I think I should be able to do really well.

Source: DES

Scouting off (T)

PianO's proxy factory on Sin Peaks of Baekdu, (T)

Mind had a great advantage in the early game and he made sure things stayed that way by calmly dealing with all the shenanigans PianO threw at him. Mind says he really wants a tiebreaker situation to happen, but only if it doesn't involve him.

Group B:

You are first to score two wins in your group. How do you feel?
It's a relief. I think the round of 8 is just around the corner now so I feel great.

You won two games but there's a possibility for tiebreakers.
Truthfully I didn't expect that so I'll have to prepare even better for the last game. Personally I really dislike tiebreakers. But if I were to advance and the three other players to play tiebreakers, that would be good fun. (laughs) I won two games but I can't rest on my laurels so it's a bit upsetting. (laughs)

It seems like you're always in the group of death.
I didn't really think it's the group of death. Unlike before, everyone is doing well in the Starleague these days so wherever you go it's the group of death.

You performed well against PianO.
Jinmook hyung (PianO) plays unconventionally so I thought the game would be difficult. I had a marine at the front and a scouting SCV arrived but instead of attacking it I decided to send it to scout five o'clock. Oddly enough that momentary decision put me in a really great spot in the game.

Your play that left no breathing room for the enemy stood out.
This was the first time I faced a situation like this, since the timing for agression was delayed I could only confront him like that. Because the map doesn't favor agressive play I didn't want to constrain myself. In my past games I played from behind so I just played patiently in the last two games.

You're the most notable candidate for the champion.
I think that's rash talk. Even if you're expected to win, don't you need to reach the semifinals first? For now such expectations are meaningless.

Your remaining game is against free.
Honestly he's a great Protoss player. Personally I think he has recently improved so honestly he's scary. The map is Return of the King which truthfully makes it burdensome. I earlier practised with Yongtae hyung (free) and we played on that map so there will be some intense mind games during practice.

Anything you want to add?
Gi Seok (Sharp) and Jung Woo hyung (Major) helped me practise so I'm thankful. Major helped me out a lot yesterday in the morning and helped me decide the build as well. He started streaming on Afreeca some time ago so I hope it works well for him.

Source: DES

hero ruled the game against (P)

Snow on Return of the King since the early game but despite that fact it took him a long time to finish it off, something he admitted himself. What was the reason and how does he think the group will wrap up?

Group C:

You have one loss and one win to your name. What are your thoughts?
Playing today's game I felt overburdened. I don't even know what I was doing. It's a relief I won but the game was a bit sad.

You defended the Protoss attack and had an advantage.
After defending the attack I thought the game was already won. But oddly my hands just didn't move the way I wanted them to. My play was worrisome and my control was full of mistakes as well. I think the game was long overdue.

T/N: hero literally said the game "went into the mountains". In Korea, Buddhist temples were originally in the villages and mountain passes as well, but over the the five hundred years of Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), Buddhism was discouraged and persecuted by the Confucian government and only the temples deep in the mountains survived.

Why do you think you were unable to relax when you were ahead?
I had a cramp in my hand so bad that it made me worried. The truth is I also arrived late to the stadium and wasn't able to warm up my hands. I don't know which one of these was the problem but it just worse than usual today.

You were an outstanding ZvPer.
The one loss record was burdensome. Yoon Chul (Snow) said he would get three kills for sure. It seemed like he was prepared and used his brain in the early game which rather tied me up.

Even if you win the next game there's a possibility for tiebreakers.
Honestly, to a certain degree I am thinking about tiebreakers. (laughs) Snow is very good at PvT and although I'm not sure I will win, if I do there will be tiebreakers which worries me.

Zergs aren't doing well recently.
There is no problem skill-wise but the maps didn't favor Zergs. They really are just the maps that I hate. It's very unfortunate.

Anything else you want to say?
I wasn't able to practise much so the performance was what it was. Hyun Jae (Mini), Seung Hyun hyung (GuemChi) and Sejeong (Pure) helped me practise so I'm really thankful.

Source: DES

With a forward rax up on (T)

HiyA's natural highground on Blue Storm, (T)

Last bunker rushed his way into a quick victory. He doesn't feel much pressure going into his game against (Z)

Larva and wouldn't mind meeting his former teammate (P)

Mini in the finals either.

Group D:

GuemChi -

HiyA -

Larva -

Last

You have one loss and one win now. How do you feel?
It's been a long time since I won a game ot OGN's stage so I feel good. If I lost this time I could've been eliminated so I worried a lot. It's a relief I won and since the remaining game is a TvZ I think I will win. It feels great to be a step closer to the round of 8.

You went with an early game strategy against HiyA.
As far as our abilities are concerned, I was confident but since the opponent plays unconventionally I didn't want to get pressured. I wanted to distress my opponent so I went with the agressive strategy. My style usually favors longer games so I thought I would control things. HiyA is not good at dealing with drastic early game scenarios.

Since you prepared a strategy you must have been nervous.
I was nervous in the first game but now that I prepared a strategy I was really nervous. I was worried that the moment my barracks finished I would panic and fail my unit control.

You have been showing strong confidence recently.
Since I got rid of the tension over broadcasted games, I thought I should be confident in my interviews, too. I actually do have confidence in my abilities so I think I will continue to give confident interviews in the future as well.

Do you feel confident against your next opponent, Larva?
I don't think I'm going to lose against Honggyu (Larva). We know each others' styles well so as long as I play safe I should win.

Do you have a goal for this season?
If I play as well as in practice even first place will be possible, I think. They say Hyun Jae (Mini) is also doing well so I hope I wont meet him until the finals. I think if that happens I could win.

Any final words?
Woo Young ( (T)

Star) helped me prepare for this game. I'm really thankful to him and to Gi Seok (Sharp) who also helped me a lot.

Source: DES

Original interviews by Daily eSports journalist Lee Sora - sora@dailyesports.com

Note: The short introductions are not translations, only the actual interviews.

SSL banners by: DiMiaN

[SSL] Ro16 Interviews - Day 4

Completed

Ongoing

Upcoming