OSL Ro16 Day 2

Set 1: Flash < Neo Electric Circuit > Action
Flash is 9-0 this season against zergs and 4-1 on Neo Electric Circuit (3-0 against zergs), Action is 6-1 against terrans and 0-2 on the same map (didn't play against terrans). However team kills are always very difficult to predict. Action's form coming out of the playoffs as well as his performance in the ODT was solid and produced very good games. However Flash is still favored going into this match up, hoping for a good long drawn out macro game, but predicting that Action will probably try to break out of his Macro-hive-defiler mentality to surprise flash with a lurker or speedling timing.
Set 2: Fantasy < Gladiator > mini
Fantasy is 4-0 against Protoss' this season and 7-2 on gladiator (2-1 against toss). Mini's only win against terran came from a proxy cheese and has never played on gladiator in televised games. Knowing fantasy's practice mentality and history of being one of the very few terrans capable of winning against any protoss style or timing, he's definitely favored going into this game. The only thing in going in mini's favor is his momentum coming into the game as well as his obscurity, fantasy's vs toss style has always been a combination of vulture and dropship play with heavy management in the late game, where as mini has never demonstrated his vT strategy. Gladiator is a map with an extremely open center which lends itself to many different ways for the protoss to pincer, backstab, or surround the terran mech army while it's moving out, but fantasy has always demonstrated that he is capable of controlling the map and denying the protoss the ability to comfortably clear mines and thus deny any such technical maneuvers. If mini wants to win he needs to hit fantasy at a mid game timing before he sets up his third as the terran needs to be heavily entrenched across two ramps to make that happen. If it goes to late game fantasy is heavily favored.
Set 3: hyvaa < New Sniper Ridge > Shine
How Hyvaa and Shine consistently upset S class players is always something that fascinated me, this will most likely be the least anticipated match of the night given that it's a ZvZ as well as having the players that knocked JD / Bisu out of OSL runs. That being said both players have defeated the likes of Jaedong and Soulkey to get into the Ro16, and Shine actually boasts a >60% ZvZ win rate which might be surprising. The changes to new sniper ridge don't affect this match up significantly, given the volatility of the match up this is a hard prediction to make. Hyvaa is 0-2 on sniper ridge with a loss against Effort, and Hyvaa has never played on it. I'm just going to call Shine wins by a speedling timing while Hyvaa tries to do something fancy like his first game vs Roro in the ODT.
Set 4: SoO < Neo Ground Zero > Stork
Soo is 4-2 against protoss' and 1-1 on Ground Zero (non against protoss), Stork is 5-1 against Zerg and 2-2 on Ground Zero (1-1 against zerg). The changes to the map is a direct nerf to close third zerg play which means that the mid game is going to be riding on the zerg securing another corner gas expansion and the protoss trying to bust it. Stork should be favored going into this match up regardless of the stigma that he dies to Zerg rushes or busts. Predicting a stork win by speedlot timing or some variation of Reaver / Corsair play in the mid game as long as he doesn't fall to another hydra/ling bust.

Flash < Neo Electric Circuit > Action
Fantasy < Gladiator > mini
hyvaa < New Sniper Ridge > Shine
SoO < Neo Ground Zero > Stork

Flash < Neo Electric Circuit > Action

Fantasy < Gladiator > mini

hyvaa < New Sniper Ridge > Shine

SoO < Neo Ground Zero > Stork