The first day’s matches are set, and with two TvZs and four PvPs lined up, the stage is set for a very strange day one, as both Terran aces are facing a Zerg opponent they can easily overpower, and there is a Protoss civil war breaking out, with Zest vs Dear taking center stage as one of the more influential games in this match.

Zest <Bel'Shir Vestige> Dear
The two lieutenants of the team, Zest and Dear are constantly under the shadow of their Terran overlords. Though Zest managed to shine and garner some attention in the all-kill rounds and for his consistency and PvP sniping ability, Dear has never gotten any recognition, with his MLG appearance only fueling the appreciation for foreigner heroes such as America’s Polt and Sweden’s Naniwa. Nevertheless, this game is extremely important and crucial for this match, as the winner will set the tempo for the entire set as it will create momentum for the next player to do well. With both players being very evenly matched, this starting PvP will definitely be a match to watch out for.

Puzzle <Neo Planet S> Classic
We continue down the road of PvPs with a matchup between the two black sheep of the team - Puzzle and Classic. Puzzle, an ex-SlayerS player, was hoping for a PartinG-esque treatment when KT Rolster snapped him up, but he hasn’t been performing quite up to snuff, unable to break through the WCS Qualifiers with losses to MVP’s Billowy and Ragnorak He also had a Dreamhack run cut short in the Ro8, losing to HerO. Meanwhile, Classic has performed the very rare “Successful Race Switch” strategy from Terran to Protoss, and while he has definitely seen more success as Protoss, there is still an uncertainty to his play, an unease if you will. But his PvP has continued to improve time and time again, with his revenge victory over Rain being a pivotal point in his career. With Puzzle still struggling to find his place in his team, Classic should have the upper hand going into this second game.

Crazy <Naro Station> INnoVation
Though I mentioned that KT and STX both fielded one Zerg, the truth of the matter is that KT has up to a trio of Zergs to choose from - hitmaN, Action and Crazy have all proven themselves at one point or another but KT has made their choice and have chosen to field Crazy this time around. Unfortunately for him, he had the bad luck of drawing Innovation for his match, and it won’t end well for this KT Zerg. While he could pull out a build to throw off the stoic STX Terran, Crazy hasn’t had the best performance as of late, dropping out of WCS Korea’s Challenger League entirely after his loss to Azubu’s Sleep. Though Innovation lost to Bomber this past week, a small TvT bump on the road should be easily brushed off in the face of this opponent.

Flash <Newkirk Redevelopment Precinct> hyvaa
Pit in a similar situation, STX Soul’s hyvaa is looking death in the face in the first day of the semi-finals as he goes up against Flash. With both players out of the OSL, they should have nothing else to concentrate on but Proleague for this entire weekend. With hyvaa’s hyper aggressive play on display throughout his group and in the playoffs, it should come to no surprise to Flash or the viewers that hyvaa will probably opt for an aggressive all-in to capitalize on one of Flash’s biggest weaknesses in TvZ: greedy openers. Yes, all Terrans have gone 3CC in their career, but Flash is probably the most notable Terran to consistently lose to Zergs who push their luck in the early game. Jaedong has managed to knock the KT Terran down a few pegs solely on this tactic alone, along with Soulkey, who attacked with a huge ling/bane force in the mid-game. But, with all things considered, Flash should be able to predict hyvaa’s plan of attack and play a bit more conservatively, but when push comes to shove, it will be up to Flash and whether or not he can resist the allure of the 3CC opener.

Stats <Akilon Wastes> Mini
While Zest and Dear might have problems finding their identity and getting recognition, no one is more familiar with the shine of the limelight like Stats once was. As the Chintoss, he racked up notoriety and fame, but now, in Starcraft 2 and after his surgery - he’s yet another Korean Protoss. It was all the more evident in the latest MLG, where he received a similar treatment to Dear, and was used to fuel the fanfare for Jaedong, being able to finally beat a Protoss. In this match though, he’ll be facing Mini, a Protoss player that is slowly rising through the ranks to become a force to be reckoned with. In the face of Stats however, who has a formidable PvP, this will be Mini’s toughest challenge yet, and one that he might not be able to conquer.

MyuNgSiK <New Fighting Spirit> Trap
While KT usually fields a second Zerg in the place of a fourth Protoss, this time around they’ve gone with MyuNgSiK, a Protoss player that has had trouble finding his footing in Heart of the Swarm. 0-4 in Proleague since the new expansion, MyuNgSiK has lost to the likes of PartinG, Jangbi and HerO. While those players are of colossal stature compared to MyuNgSiK, the games were one-sided and the KT Protoss didn’t manage to showcase his skill. Meanwhile Trap has been on the upswing as of late, particularly in the PvP world, where he won both his games against SKT last week, besting Bisu and Rain. Though MyuNgSiK hasn’t given a strong performance in the past, his match against Trap could be his best chance yet to give a good performance and a win for his team.

Ace: Flash <Whirlwind> INnoVation
Let's be honest. If the need for an ace match arises, this will be it. While Flash was knocked out in the Ro16 of WCS Korea once again, in the same group as Innovation, that doesn’t necessarily mean this will be a one-sided match. With both players stuck in a TvT vortex for the past few weeks, coupled with the patch that affected the TvT meta greatly, it will be interesting to see if Flash or Innovation bring out a flashy innovative build to the scene in the ace match. Regardless if they do or not, whenever these players clash the game is electrifying and extremely intense, so if the need for an ace match should arise, this game should be one for the history books.

Zest > Dear
Puzzle < Classic
Crazy < Innovation
Flash > hyvaa
Stats > Mini
MyuNgSiK < Trap
Ace: Flash < Innovation
STX Soul defeats KT Rolster 4-3 in the first day of the semi-finals.