[Interview] 2012 GSL S1 CodeS RO32 Group C Winners

IM_Nestea


Q: How does it feel to have qualified for the round of 16 6 seasons in a row?
A: Oh? I've actually qualified for the round of 16 6 seasons in a row? (laughs) To be honest, I had planned on qualifying by defeating the other two Zergs, so I didn't really practise for my ZvT. I don't have too many feelings about getting into the round of 16.

Q: You had your teammate MVP in your group. And there was Idra as well. What were your thoughts after seeing the groupings?
A: I just thought that I would be able to qualify for the next round together with MVP. There are many Zergs in the group, which to me is not a bad thing.

Q: In your games against Idra, your opponent typed in GG without much hesitation.
A: I knew he would GG. The strategy he used was a total all-in. If it was held, there was basically nothing else he could do. In the second game, I scouted his base, and realised there was nothing there. At that point, I knew the outcome of that series would be determined soon.

Q: In the many series that you played against MVP in the GSL, you've never won before. This is your first time defeating MVP in a series.
A: I desire victory every time we face, but I lost to him in the Blizzard Cup, and also in the previous GSLs. MVP is indeed stronger than me, which is why I lost. As for today, I was lucky. However, I hope to still be able to win against him in the future.

Q: In the games against MVP, you played many mind games.
A: We know each other very well, so that's why I played like that. I already guessed that MVP would choose that map if we reached the third game, and I had planned to used that tactic. I was very lucky, and it turned out very successful.

Q: There's going to be group nominations in the round of 16, and the order of choosing will be according to the GSL points. As second in the rankings for GSL points, it is certain that you'll get the privilege to pick.
A: If Oz makes it to the round of 16 I want to pick him. We know each other very well. He tells me all the time not to pick him, but the more I listen to it, the more I want to pick him. Recently, Protoss seems very strong. I want to defeat the strong race.

Q: What are your goals for this year?
A: I want to play more foreign tournaments. Including the foreign ones, I want to win at least 5 tournaments.

Q: This year might be another year where it's a battle between you and MVP.
A: I don't feel confident every time I play against him. It's not only me though. I think every Zerg feels that way playing against him. However, recently, I've only been narrowly losing to him. If I practise properly, I believe I will be able to defeat him in 2012.

Q: You're one year older now. Do you feel old?
A: The improvements of the younger generation is something that I predicted before. I'm also practising very hard, and to be honest, it's rather tiring. The younger players are really improving very fast. The only thing that I can do is work harder.

Q: Any last words you wish to add?
A: I want to thank the players who practised with me. It's a bit late now, but I want to wish everyone a happy new year.

IM_Mvp


Q: How does it feel to qualify as second place from Group C?
A: I am very happy to be able to qualify together with Nestea hyung. It was very difficult during practice. I lost many times, and I got the feeling it would be very difficult this time round. However, I am very glad that I was still eventually able to make it into the round of 16.

Q: You seem to have a pattern of making it to the round of 4 as long as you get out of the round of 32.
A: I think the biggest hurdle is the round of 32. I will work hard to maintain that pattern.

Q: What were your views after seeing the round of 32 groupings?
A: There were three Zergs in the group, and that should make practice slightly easier. However, Nestea is really a difficult opponent to face, and indeed, he won against me today.

Q: This is your first time losing against Nestea in an official GSL match.
A: I am very glad that we met in the winner's game. Even though I lost that series, I was contented with winning in the final series and qualifying for the next round. Between the two of us, it doesn't really matter who comes out as the winner.

Q; In the last series that you played against Lucky, there even came a point where you played into a base race, which you eventually lost.
A: I really hate that map. There are many maps which I feel would make it difficult for me to progress into the next round if they appeared in the final series. Perhaps, it's because of such a negative attitude that resulted in the loss.

Q: In the third game of the series on Daybreak, both of you played into the late late game.
A: I had the advantage in the early and mid game. However, because I was too eager to contain my opponent, I suddenly found myself in a bad situation. Under such a situation, what usually would happen is that the attack would fail, and the follow up counterattack would win the game for the opponent. As a result, I chose to play the game with a defensive posture.

I think that Nuclear Strikes can be used against all races in the late game. Nukes are not a choice. They are deadly weapons that have to be used in the late game.

Q: In the round of 16, you get the first pick of your opponent. (The top 4 in terms of GSL points would have the privilege of picking their opponents. MVP is ranked 1 in terms of GSL points.)
A: I am very happy to be able to get to pick my opponent first. However, even though I am happy with this, other players might not be too happy, because this might cause the top 8 players from the previous season to not be able to get the privilege of picking.

I think the organisers should reconsider the format for this group nominations. If we were to base the nominations solely on GSL points, the competition might become a competition which only benefits one player.

Q: Who do you think will be the biggest stumbling block in your quest to becoming the champion this season?
A: I think my biggest stumbling block is not a specific opponent, but rather the round of 32. Not only is it hard to practise for, but I've also never been in good condition on the day of my round of 32 matches.

Q: It seems you have no more games arranged in the short term future.
A: First of all, I need to get my wrist treated. From the first game today, I was quite troubled because I wasn't able to exert much force with my hand. During this rest period, I have to find a way to let my wrist heal up as soon as possible.

Q: Any last words you wish to add?
A: I want to thank my teammates who practised with me. I also want to thank my parents who have been cheering for me all this while. Lastly, I want to thank my coach, my sister-in-law, and my girlfriend, who have been taking care of me.