Your first time making it to a finals since your debut. How do you feel?
I am really glad. This is the first time I have ever felt something like this since I became a pro gamer. I am going to win the championship no matter what this season. I am also sorry to my teammate sOs.
The semi-finals was a team kill. How did you prepare for this match?
I practiced with my teammates. The Zergs helped out sOs and the Protosses helped me out. Practice wise, I think things went really well. I even though that I was going to win with a 4-0 score but sOs started doing really well during game four and I also did a lot of disappointing things.
You started off really well and then just kind of collapsed at the end.
I think I lost my patience. It was around game four. This is a kind of weakness that I need to fix.
You won games one, two, and three pretty easily. How were you able to do this?
Games one, two, and three went so well that I could even say that I felt like game four was when I finally warmed up (laughs). I think sOs did try to pull off the things he practiced for games one, two, and three, but it turned out that my preparations just fit better. I had a lot of advantages when it came to build orders.
You suffered a cannon rush for both games five and six.
I had done preparation for a cannon rush and I also assumed that I would win even if I did fall victim to a cannon rush. But my decisions afterwards were not good. For game six, I wasn’t planning on doing a 15 hatch but then I tried it out and it ended up becoming my downfall. As soon as I saw the cannon rush happening, I just automatically assumed a game seven will occur.
You must have felt even more pressure because a game seven occurred.
I did think something along the lines of that. But I figured that I’d be able to win as long as I played what I had prepared.
sOs tried to go for an all in for game seven. Were you expecting such a play?
I wasn’t expecting it. But I did put it as a possibility. The bigger problem was that his timing was just so quick. It felt like it was much quicker than usual and I also felt like defending against it was going to be a little difficult when I scouted it. I just told myself that I had to block it no matter what.
Afterwards, what were you thinking when you were responding to sOs’ harassment.
Severl days ago, Child came over and told me something. He asked me, “why do you keep pushing forward when force fields are blocking your way?” I responded “because I think I can win.” That’s why during today’s match, I decided to play as safely as I could. If I had played like I usually do then I probably would have had to just fight.
You will face either Symbol or INnoVation for the finals. Who would you like to face?
I want to face INnoVation. I have more that I can show for ZvT rather than ZvZs and it’s more fun.
Do you think you’ll win the championship this season?
I think I can win the championship, but more important than that, I have this commitment that I want to win and that I have to win no matter what. I feel like this season will be a really good opportunity.
Anything else you would like to say?
I promised my Protoss teammates who helped me that I would repay them if I won today. When I get back, I want to keep my word and do something for them. I also want to do something for sOs as well.
Methods to locating SC2 interviews!
Go to the TL.net search bar and type in [Interview] and then search. You will find the most recent interviews at the top
Go to the liquipedia page for that specific tournament and find this icon: If you click on that icon, it will take you to the interview for that group's match winners
On May 22 2013 12:30 gobbledydook wrote: Soulkey is the only zerg who has ever defeated Innovation in HotS.
Leenock took a map off him in the AIG qualifiers but besides that yeah just Soulkey for that like 22-2 record or whatever. Can't see INnoVation losing this season though if he can hold all ins
Assuming Innovation wins (and while nothing is guaranteed, that is a pretty safe assumption) I really feel like we will be seeing the two top players in the world face off in the finals.
Not the top players in terms of career, mind you, but the two showing the best form at the moment.
On May 22 2013 12:43 petered wrote: Assuming Innovation wins (and while nothing is guaranteed, that is a pretty safe assumption) I really feel like we will be seeing the two top players in the world face off in the finals.
Not the top players in terms of career, mind you, but the two showing the best form at the moment.
I agree. I'm extremely excited for these finals provided it's INnoVation v Soulkey.
Definitely looking forward to a possibility of TvZ finals (though I would have preferred RorO against Innovation; RorO is still somewhat unrated IMO though technically if he did win his group 2-0 made it to the other side of the bracket but that group was really close too).
Symbol has an interesting ZvT style, and I definitely am interested in his series against Innovation in the Ro4.
(I wouldn't have minded a Symbol vs RorO finals rematch actually for the storyline, despite it being ZvZ in HotS. It was close too. If RorO made 2-0 in his group instead of Soulkey, who knew what would happen.)
Neat to see Symbol and RorO both make it far this season and avoid the whole "finalist from last season keep getting knocked out early" problem has happened with most finalist.
You will face either Symbol or INnoVation for the finals. Who would you like to face?
I want to face INnoVation.
Never have I been so sure someone is about to regret their words lol
Well it's what the fans want to see so hes probably just saying that as fan service. I think everyone accepts he's the far away favourite to reach the final.
On May 22 2013 11:54 Seeker wrote: Several days ago, Child came over and told me something. He asked me, “why do you keep pushing forward when force fields are blocking your way?” I responded “because I think I can win.”
Deep.
If anyone could take out SoS it would either be a team mate or a fundamentally solid player that can deal with his shenanigans. As long as Innovation wins I don't want another ZvZ finals 3 times in a row.
Severl days ago, (Z)Child came over and told me something. He asked me, “why do you keep pushing forward when force fields are blocking your way?” I responded “because I think I can win.”