EPTAn excerpt:
MLG: At any point, was there a player who you thought might’ve stopped your run, or a time when you started to doubt you would win?
NaNiwa: I was a bit afraid of Sheth in the Open Bracket , but fortunately he lost to Pokebunny so I had a bit [of an] easier path than I think I could’ve had. But when I saw my group, I thought that every opponent should be very beatable. To be honest, I was a bit scared of Kiwi and Select; Select is always very strong in practice and I knew he would be a big hurdle. And Kiwi I have always had a positive record against, so I knew I would have the mental edge against him. But he played extremely well against Socke, Huk, [and others], so I wasn’t really sure [smiles]. I just treated every Bo3 like my life depended on it, especially in the Open Bracket. In the Championship Bracket I just thought that it would be very sweet to make it to the Winners Bracket side after group play, which I fortunately did [grins].
MLG: Having all of Dignitas to practice with must be a great help; they have such an incredible lineup right now. Speaking of Dignitas, and to touch briefly on a difficult subject; you were dropped from Meet Your Makers and left after differences with Power Gaming and Empire. Now, competing in your first major tournament as part of Dignitas, you’re already a Champion. Has your mindset changed, with the new team? Do you feel pressure to perform?
NaNiwa: To be honest, a major goal of mine has been to take a major title, which I have now achieved. I thought I would be slacking a lot more than I am now, but once I resumed practice after MLG I just really got frustrated and started to practice even more. Also, seeing MC just dominate DreamHack gave me a whole new perspective on things… I really want to take his place [smiles]. I think the biggest part of my mental state that has changed is that I don’t really get nervous in the same way anymore—well, not so far at least. I will also [know] that I do have what it takes to beat anyone as long as I play my best.
MLG: Some have said that you’re the closest match to Idra on the European scene, when it comes to your in-game and tournament behavior. Do you think the comparison is valid?
NaNiwa: The difference is that Idra just doesn’t give a ****, but I actually do. I do not let my anger go out intentionally to make a point or whine about imbalance for fun. Recently I have been a lot better at controlling it. I would like to be compared to no one. I want to create my own new reputation.
NaNiwa: I was a bit afraid of Sheth in the Open Bracket , but fortunately he lost to Pokebunny so I had a bit [of an] easier path than I think I could’ve had. But when I saw my group, I thought that every opponent should be very beatable. To be honest, I was a bit scared of Kiwi and Select; Select is always very strong in practice and I knew he would be a big hurdle. And Kiwi I have always had a positive record against, so I knew I would have the mental edge against him. But he played extremely well against Socke, Huk, [and others], so I wasn’t really sure [smiles]. I just treated every Bo3 like my life depended on it, especially in the Open Bracket. In the Championship Bracket I just thought that it would be very sweet to make it to the Winners Bracket side after group play, which I fortunately did [grins].
MLG: Having all of Dignitas to practice with must be a great help; they have such an incredible lineup right now. Speaking of Dignitas, and to touch briefly on a difficult subject; you were dropped from Meet Your Makers and left after differences with Power Gaming and Empire. Now, competing in your first major tournament as part of Dignitas, you’re already a Champion. Has your mindset changed, with the new team? Do you feel pressure to perform?
NaNiwa: To be honest, a major goal of mine has been to take a major title, which I have now achieved. I thought I would be slacking a lot more than I am now, but once I resumed practice after MLG I just really got frustrated and started to practice even more. Also, seeing MC just dominate DreamHack gave me a whole new perspective on things… I really want to take his place [smiles]. I think the biggest part of my mental state that has changed is that I don’t really get nervous in the same way anymore—well, not so far at least. I will also [know] that I do have what it takes to beat anyone as long as I play my best.
MLG: Some have said that you’re the closest match to Idra on the European scene, when it comes to your in-game and tournament behavior. Do you think the comparison is valid?
NaNiwa: The difference is that Idra just doesn’t give a ****, but I actually do. I do not let my anger go out intentionally to make a point or whine about imbalance for fun. Recently I have been a lot better at controlling it. I would like to be compared to no one. I want to create my own new reputation.
Head over to MLG to read the full interview.
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