[Interview] WCS LR2 D1

Source: This Is Game

You managed to survive by advancing to the third round of the losers' bracket.

First of all, I feel really happy that I was able to stay alive along with the other KeSPA players. It's just really good (laughs).

In game one, you blocked a proxy gate really well but then lost after a failed Dark Templar attempt.

My opponent poked me with only one gateway but I defended as if I was being harassed by two. Since I responded like that, I lost a lot of probes so it wasn't looking very good for me, and I felt like I was in a disadvantageous situation so I decided to go for DTs.

In game two, you blocked a 4 warp gate attack with 2 regular gateways.

Up to this point, I woudl play my PvPs without really scouting my opponent, so I used that fact and did the opposite and scouted thoroughly. I think my opponent fell in to my psychological trap.

In game three, thanks to phoenixes you won with blink stalkers.

Our build order were off from each other so I won easily. Game three went really well like I predicted it would. Today I got really nervous so my performance was not great. Now that I've been winning more games, I think I'm starting to get a little greedy for more victories. That's not good... (laughs)

Your next opponent could be teammate EffOrt.

I don't want to play against EffOrt hyung. I just hate team kills. I would rather play against GuMiho. But in reality, of course I want EffOrt hyung to win.

Today, the GSL qualifiers opened. Are you planning on attending?

If my team decides to go for it, I will follow them. Personally I really do want to participate. Right now I really want to keep playing against GSL players and keep gaining valuable experiences.

Anything else you would like to say?

I started today's games without any expectations but I'm so glad that I keep winning like this. I'm going to practice even harder now and show even greater performances.

Source: This Is Game

You've made it to the third round of the losers' bracket. How do you feel?

I beat yet another really good player. I am still dazed about it. I just told myself that I would play with a calm mindset and the games just went my way. That's why I feel really good.

In game one, you won in an elimination race. What was the reason you won?

I'm not sure. After I was playing my best I realized I was in the better situation. In the beginning my opponent harassed with me 2 raxes and almost beat me with it but I think the reason that I won is because I didn't allow that to tilt me.

In game two, you did a 10pool worker rush. Was this improvised?

I prepared for it but I was contemplating whether or not to implement it. I won game one so I decided to just go for it. I was still influenced by my game one victory so I told myself that it'd be okay to use it. If I had lost game one I would've attempted a macro game.

You quit pro gaming for your studies but you caught back up quickly. What is your secret?

Even if I still have my old skills from the BW days the most important thing is EffOrt. I really practiced a lot. I practiced so much that I made sure I wasn't behind my teammates after returning. I had a huge determination to rediscover my old skills. When I initially decided to come back, I was feeling a lot of impatience and worries that I wouldn't catch up. But I kept tell myself that I had to work hard and close that gap. Thanks to that I caught up in no time.

Your next opponent is teammate herO[jOin]. herO has stated that he doesn't like team kills.

Ever since I debuted as a pro gamer, the first time I ever had to do a team kill was in the MokDong studio. I had to do a lot of team kills during the GOMTV Classic. I had no idea that I would have to do a team kill again in this very spot. herO is really good so I'm scared (laughs).

Are you confident that you will win?

herO is really good so I'm just going to do me best.

Source: This Is Game

You secured yet another victory today and advanced to the third round of the losers' bracket.

Recently, all the KeSPA players have been beating the GSL players so a burden that was nonexistent arose today. With today's victory, I think I extinguished a bit of that burden.

You were in the lead in game one but got pushed back because of the upgrade differences and by the number of siege tanks.

While playing game one, my opponent played exactly as how I predicted he would. I caught his first banshee so I played the rest of the game with a good feeling. TvTs are supposed to be played with a heavy feeling but I played game one with a light feeling so I lost. I even shed medivacs left and right and missed getting my upgrades.

In game two, your mech attack timing was great.

I kept scanning him and noticed that he had no additional factories. The only thing I saw that he could be doing was the 1/1/1, so I started searching for a starport in the hidden locations and sure enough, there it was. I knew he couldn't get out battlecruisers right away so I decided to harass his economy a bit and told myself I could take care of the battlecruisers later on.

In game three, you made a comeback.

I started off the game really well but then made too many mistakes. I got angry at myself because I was supply blocked for a long time and the game wasn't going the way I wanted it to. But as soon as I realized this, I regained my composure and told myself that I could still win this.

In the last game, it felt like you were throwing the game because of your fierce attacks.

I knew what my opponent's unit composition was and I was also supply blocked so I took that timing attack. Luckily, my attack was successful. If my opponent had reacted just a bit sooner, I would have screwed myself over.

You next opponent is is the winner of Soulkey vs HerO. Who do you want to face?

I really want to face HerO. If there had to be a reason that I am playing in the WCS, then that reason would have to be to learn. In order to learn more about the game I don't want to gain experience through playing against KeSPA players. That's why I want to keep facing GSL players.

Within the KeSPA players, you are the only to have made it this far by getting through the qualifiers. Do you feel any pressure from that?

There are a lot of issues so I do feel pressured. But nowadays, more and more KeSPA players are winning so I think I'm getting less and less attention so that pressured feeling is starting to get lifted. The way I entered this tournament is up for interpretation. I still feel pressured since I was the only player not seeded but I am happy that I am getting the recognition.

Anything else you would like to say?

Nowadays, the KeSPA players are getting better so the pressure's increasing. Since it seems like we're catching up to the GSL players, it feels really good. I hope we all get better together as a group from here on out and get the same motivation to try to overtake the GSL players. If not, then I hope we get on the same footing as them and do really well. It's not good if only a certain hand full of players get to run ahead (laughs).

You made a comeback and made it to the third round of the losers' bracket.

Regarding today's games and the previous round's games, I came with the mindset of not wanting to win but wanting to gain experience. I feel content because the games went really well. At first, I wasn't greedy about wanting to win but now that I've won two matches in a row, I am starting to get greedy.

You lost game one to Genius' all in. Did you not see it coming?

I thought about it but didn't act on it. So I lost game one and then told myself that I would be able to play some fun games from here on. I lost to my opponent's all in so I composed myself for game two and decided I would enjoy this. Thanks to that I got some good results.

In game two, you won easily with a zergling rush.

That was not my intention. I just kind of went for it with my lings but it turned out really well. I think the Protoss built his buildings in that way because he anticipated an attack from me.

In game three, you saw a positive result from building a ton of spine crawlers.

I'm still playing with a mindset of learning as I play. Right now I tend to play as my hands tell me to. Even today, I built a lot of spine crawlers like I thought I should and was able to play the game comfortably. I killed my opponent's expansion and grabbed a lot of his army so I played patiently.

What is the thing you learned most about from this tournament?

In the past, I could only watch the GSL players and learn from them, but now I actually get to play against them. These experiences are building up my confidence and are helping me increase my skills. Since I am comfortably playing against them, every victory keeps giving me more and more confidence. Truth be told, it feels like the GSL players are playing worse than usual, rather than me being better than them. I'm even beating players that I never thought I would when I was watching their matches.

The GSL Code A qualifiers opened up today. Do you want to participate?

Of course I do. But it's not up to me, it's up to my team's schedule. I feel like the Code A qualifiers will also be a valuable experience, so I do want to participate.

Your next opponent will be the winner of Leenock vs By.Sun. Who do you want to face?

Of course I want to face Leenock. Personally I think he's a really good player, and he's a player I admire. He's really cute and he's a very smart player. That's why I want to play against him. I've already played against Sun in the ProLeague so I want to face Leenock.

If you win just two more matches, you become a representative for Korea. Do you think it's possible?

Even right now I'm not really greedy for that. I just want to approach my games with a clear mind. If the results go well then I'll be happy and if the results don't go well I won't let it affect me all that much. I'll just keep thinking to myself that this is a true test of my skills.

Anything else you would like to say?

I want to thank the fans for coming out all the way to MokDong even on the weekdays. I hope they keep on cheering for me for my next match.