[Int] GSL Super Ro32 D4

Polt –‘Maka’s Banshees can drive people crazy.’

- Your thoughts on making the round of 16?
I feel like the round of 16 is a proper spot for me, but I hope to make the round of 8 mine as well.

- Did you have confidence that you would win today?
I am confident in my TvP matchup. I have also been on a winning streak, so I had even more confidence coming into the match.

- Do you think your TvP is stronger than any of your other matchups?
When I am ahead or even against my opponent I don’t think it matters, but when I am behind, it feels easier for me to play catch-up in that matchup. I guess in comparison, I feel like I need more practice for the other matchups.

- When do you predict your 100% win rate (in GSL) against protosses will be broken?
When you get to the semifinals or above, it becomes a best of 5, so I could definitely lose to protosses there.

- How did you prepare for the match?
The scariest thing about facing protosses, is their all-in attacks. So I focused on preparing for blocking those attempts. I felt that as long as I could stop those attempts, although I wouldn’t be ahead, I could always make up the difference and catch-up, because the game would go on instead of ending right there.

- So did your predictions come true in the 1st set?
If my opponent knew about my defensive mindset and went for a quick 3rd expand, I would have been far behind but he also went with a safe build.

- In the 2nd set, you showed off a 2 starport build.
I saw that Huk likes to stick with gateway units, so I wanted to snipe the sentries with the banshees and get the zealots and stalkers with the rest of my units. Since I took care of the DTs with my ravens, I thought that I was ahead in terms of my build.

- Your round of 16 opponent will be Maka.
I don’t feel too good about the team kill but that also means that at least one of us will be in the round of 8 so that is good.

- You must face him often (in the teamhouse). Who wins more?
It’s pretty even. I can’t say much about anything else, but his banshee control drives me crazy. I will definitely practice accordingly for that.

- A lot of big names have been falling, your thoughts?
I feel like that just give me a better chance. But I still have yet to face the former champion and runner-ups. In the semifinals, I could end up facing Nestea and if I can get past that, I may have to face Marineking in the finals.

- Any last comments?
I want to thank my team’s Marineking (**it says that name here, but I feel like it should be Anypro, seems to be a typo since MKP and Anypro’s names in Korean are very similar) fOu’s Choya, Imori, TSL’s Smart, NSHoSeo’s Tassadar for helping me practice.

+ Show Spoiler +

Line – ‘I was on the brink of giving up.’

- Your thoughts on making the round of 16?
After I first saw the brackets, I prepared for a team kill. We both told each other to play well so I don’t have any regrets. I am extremely happy to have made my first round of 16. My goal is the round of 8 so I feel like I will only be satisfied once I get there.

- Did your mindset change after taking down Jinro in the last round?
Now I feel like as long as I do not make mistakes, every match seems possible.

- How about before then?
Before, since I kept on losing, I felt that my skills were lacking. I don’t know about the effects of broadcasted matches, but since I kept on losing I also lost confidence.

- So how do you feel about this team kill?
I don’t think it’s that bad since at least one person from the team gets to make the round of 16. But since Byun fell yesterday, it is disappointing to have only one representative for ZeNEX left in the next round. .

- How did you practice for the match?
Since we had to have practice partners for the both of us who had to face each other, I know that our teammates felt weird at times. So it was a bit difficult to find practice partners to practice with.

- Your victory today was hard fought.
I have not won a mirror match before (in GSL), and since I lost the 1st set and was behind in the 2nd, I was on the brink of giving up. In the 2nd set luckily, I was able to spot his roach timing with my overlord. Then I felt like I could win as long as I blocked the aggression.

- In the 3rd set, there was a zergling/baneling battle. Did you have a lot of stress during that?
I practice for that in practice since I knew that would happen. I felt like I could win as long I didn’t make a mistake there. Then I was able to get roaches.

- You will be facing the winner between Nada and Virus.
I hope that Nada advances. I want to give a good game and also avenge CoCa.

- Are you confident in your ZvT?
I have practice for it a lot recently, and I have gained confidence in it.

- If you make it to the round of 8, do you feel like you can win?
Even if I win, I feel like I will be facing Nestea by then. That may end up being a 50/50 coin flip.

- Any last comments?
I have many players I want to thank for helping me practice, but I can’t quite remember all their IDs. I want to thank ZeNex’s Naya, YeoPoProS, Park Joon Hyun, and fOu’s Sirius. I also want to thank Issue from the NEX clan who helped finding these practice partners for me.
+ Show Spoiler +

NaDa – ‘I want to make my dream of winning a reality.’

- Your thoughts on making the round of 16?
Although he is a good friend of mine, I took this as a serious match and was bit nervous for it. After winning the 1st set, I was able to approach game 2 the way I wanted.

- Do you feel like there has been an increase in the amount of fans who are looking forward to your victory?
I feel like the fans are being generous in looking at my play. But I am trying my best to bring it up to their expectations. I want to make that kind of play not just hope, but a reality.

- In the 2nd set, you showed off a pretty classic match.
I am trying hard to be ahead of the trend. I want to become the trendsetter, and make this kind of style the strongest.

- Do you think siege tank based play will continue?
I feel like other solutions will come about. But I like siege tanks so it fits my playstyle.

- How did you practice for today’s match?
I had about 1 week to practice for today. So although it was exam week for my school, I had plenty of time for practice. I hope to put a little more focus on doing well in this Super Tournament.

- A lot of big names have been falling, your thoughts?
Like I said before, because things can change so quickly, all the players remaining in the tournament are great players. I don’t have any complaints.

- Your TvT results recently have been quite good.
It was a matchup I have had confidence in since SCBW. When I lose a TvT I feel like I have lost in physical condition (i.e. Stamina). I always have in mind that I will not lose physically. In that matchup, the player who uses their head well as well as their physical conditioning will be the one to win.

- Your next opponent will be a zerg.
I learned a lot when I practiced for the previous match. I am confident, and I will practice hard to show a flawless game with great macro, control, and build order.

- Do you have any desire to be in more foreign tournaments?
I am a bit jealous of the great response of the foreign community for this game. I have been to other countries for SCBW before, but since SC2 is more popular in the foreign community than ever before, I really want to go and play in foreign tournaments. I hope to get a good chance sooner or later. But for now, I will focus on my next match at hand.

- Any last comments?
I want to thank the oGs family for helping me practice. I want to thank my English professor Gregory McNeal who came to cheer me on. I also want to thank professor Ha Mi Yang for taking care of me in our tennis class.
+ Show Spoiler +

TOP – ‘I have found Nestea’s weakness.’

- Your thoughts on making the round of 16?
It was a difficult opponent. I was really worried since he was a great strategic opponent, but I am glad I was able to win.

- You must be looking forward to some good results this tournament.
When I saw the brackets and saw that I would possibly be facing Nada in the round of 8. So I have been taking aim at the round of 8.

- You successfully blocked the voidray aggression in the 1st set.
At that point, my opponent was all-in, and so as long as I held there, I had both the tech and upgrade advantage to win the game. Even with the bunker repair, it was very close.

- Your reason for losing the 2nd set?
I took too much damage in the early game. I needed to do some medivac harassment, but I had a lock of units to really be effective with them.

- Did you predict your opponent would do an all-in in the 3rd set?
My scv was able to luckily scout the 3 sentries so I knew an attack was coming, so I built a bunker for defense.

- Was your defense faster because of your floating factory?
It was planned. I wanted to crush my opponent’s all-in plan. When protosses go for their attack, they like to build forward pylons so with my floating factory I was able to spot for those.

- Your next opponent will be Nestea.
I don’t have a lot of time for practice. But I am confident in my match against him. Since a lot of his strategies have been televised, I have found some weaknesses in his play. I do not think my lack of practice time will be a huge factor in the outcome.

- You may end up facing Nada in the round of 8.
Rather than saying it is a revenge match, I would say since I have fell to him two seasons in a row, he is a wall that I want to overcome at least once

- Nada has been playing really well recently.
There is more meaning if I can beat him when he is playing well.

- A lot of big names have been falling, your thoughts?
I don’t want to let go if I am given a chance. I feel like it is very important to play your best for every single match. But since none of those people were in my group, it doesn’t really matter to me.

- Any last comments?
I want to thank NSHoSeo’s Tassadar, ZeNEX’s Puzzle, MVP’s Genius, my team’s Inca, and vines for helping me practice. Vines especially since he helped me review my games carefully and gave me good advice. I also want to thank my coach, parents, and manager for cheering for me.

- Do you have any relations with NSHoSeo’s Tassadar? (**They have the same name)
We don’t have any relations, but he sincerely helped me out. I have seen him around a couple of times. I hope to become friends with him in the future.
+ Show Spoiler +