EPT
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/teams/icons/1.png){kind=icon}
INnoVation![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/DUeS6Du.jpg)
Source: Daily eSports
How do you feel about winning the championship?
I had this feeling that I was going to win the championship regardless of who I faced the minute I advanced into the finals. I’m strong when it comes to performing for the finals and ByuL is someone who I feel faces pressure when he performs for a finals so I figured I was fine in that department. I just had this feeling that I was going to win.
Exactly one year has passed since your last GSL championship.
It’s really amusing that I won the championship again after exactly one year. It just happens when I am not even aware that it’s happening. It’s really amusing. I’m glad that I was able to win in 2015 also.
You lost to ByuL in the S2SL Ro4 match.
I lost disappointingly then but I still thought to myself that I was more than capable of taking the win. It was BoX match so that means figuring out what you want to do for each game was important. Because of that, I focused on that aspect.
In your head-to-head score, ByuL had the lead. Were there any difficulties in preparing for your match against him?
There wasn’t really anything difficult. Aside from the fact that I kind of didn’t want to play the game since I had to practice even on my days off, everything else was fine. My head hurt because I had to keep on thinking of build orders to use.
You lost game one after deciding to mech.
I anticipated that he had grabbed the gold base expansion, but I ended up getting nervous and didn’t scout with my hellions. But I still felt that I had the advantage. I even knew that he gone for mutas so I decided to go for a timing attack. Sadly, it did not work out. I told myself that I would of course win game one, so I got flustered when things didn’t go well.
Which set was the most difficult? Around when did you anticipate the championship victory?
I told myself that I had to win on Coda no matter what. Since it was a really long game and I made a lot of mistakes so I got shook up a lot, it was a difficult set. I think I was able to win the championship because the momentum came to my side once I won that game on Coda.
You will face KT’s Zest for your first BlizzCon match.
Zest is such a strong opponent that I still don’t know yet how I’m going to handle him.
Last year soO, this year ByuL, you gave each of them their third straight second place finish.
Rather than say that I was the one responsible for giving them their losses, I just think it’s unfortunate for them that they had to meet me during a bad time in their careers. I feel that losing in the finals causes a kind of trauma. In that aspect, I just think I got really lucky.
What is the score you anticipate for the Proleague Grand Finals?
I won’t know for sure until the lineups are posted. But I think our team is much stronger since it’s going to be a six player lineup. But of course, Jin Air is also a good team so I am expecting a 4-2 or 4-3 victory for us.
Looks like it’s time to focus on LotV now.
Not yet. We still need to focus on the upcoming Proleague finals match. I don’t think we’ll practice any LotV until that finishes first.
How do you feel about LotV?
I only played like one game so far. LotV beta has already been out for quite some time now and a lot of players have already gotten a head start. I can’t help but think that I’ll have to work hard even during my break time so that I can catch up to them. I’m sure there will be a noticeable gap in the beginning skill level wise, but as time passes on, the better players will be able to throw them off and rise to the top. I’m not too worried.
Anything else you would like to say?
I am so relieved that I won the championship because a lot of fans came, my family came, and my teammates came as well. I am grateful to them. I was able to win because my teammates helped me out so much with practice. I am also grateful to the coaching staff for focusing so much on this. I hope that they continue to do so from here on out.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/po2fUJX.jpg)
Source: Daily eSports
ByuL's situation is quite unique. Because exactly one year ago, INnoVation also gave his teammate, soO, his third straight second place finish in a row after a GSL finals. After ByuL got second place for the third time in a row, SKT's soO sent him a message of condolence through DES:
"ByuL and I may not be friends but out of everyone in the world, I am the only person who knows exactly how he is feeling. It is such a difficult experience to go through when you finish second place three times in a row. But I'm sure his day will come one day as long as he is able to overcome this hardship. I hope ByuL continues to remain strong."
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 SC2 Interviews/Translation Archive
- Go to the liquipedia page for that player and look at the section titled "Interviews" http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/PartinG#Interviews
- Go to the liquipedia page for that specific tournament and find this icon:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/wfoGKzI.png)
If you click on that icon, it will take you to the interview for that group's match winners
