[Winners' Interview] ODT Group E

CJ’s Rush: I want to meet a zerg in the ro16



CJ Entus’ Rush became the fourth candidate for the Royal Road. He showed his stamina by beating one of the strongest zergs, Team 8’s Jaedong, and completed his clean 2-0 with a strategic play against Samsung Khan’s Roro. Rush, who will step onto the ro16 stage for the first time, said, “If I can just meet a zerg, I think I’ll be able to get really far.”

Q: Thoughts on getting to the ro16 for the first time
Rush: I’m in a daze. I’m happy I advanced 2-0.

Q: Did you think it was going to be 2-0
Rush: Yes. Because the maps were favorable, I figured if I could get to the late game I’d definitely win. Even in the winner’s match, I felt like the 2rax strategy would win for sure.

Q: Didn’t you feel nervous playing Jaedong
Rush: Because he’s a zerg, I didn’t stress. I had the race advantage, and I personally feel comfortable in the matchup. I didn’t feel nervous because he was Jaedong.

Q: Was there anything you were trying to prove with these matches
Rush: In this past proleague, I made a mistake against Action where I didn’t scout his natural. I was really angry at myself then, but with these matches I’m not anymore.

Q: Do you want to take revenge against Action, who also made the ro16?
Rush: I want to be in the same group as Action.

Q: How did you practice
Rush: The winner’s match I only planned in my head, and didn’t practice it live. Roro’s 12hatch was a critical part of the strategy, maybe because I won with a management game in match 1, but he obliged my plans.

Q: Goals this season
Rush: The big goal is to win it all, but first my goal is to advance along the path step by step.

Q: Players you want to be in your group
Rush: Anyone who’s zerg is the best case. It’s okay even if it’s my teammate Hydra, although I prefer not to meet someone on the same team.

Q: Who helped you practice
Rush: Hydra helped me the most, and Effort helped me a lot with creating builds.

Q: Anything else you want to say
Rush: I promise to show even better play. I ask for greater support from the fans.

Daily eSports reporter Park Woon-sung – photo@dailyesports.com
Source: http://esports.dailygame.co.kr/news/read.php?id=59750

STX’s Hyvaa: “I brag about my record against Jaedong pretty often”



Team 8’s Jaedong is considered among the top vZ players. He boasts the best lifetime ZvZ record, with a staggering 73.3%. However, the rules are different when he meets STX’s Hyvaa. Before the ODT, Jaedong had a 2-3 record against Hyvaa; after meeting Hyvaa again on the 28th, he fell to 2-4. “I’m pretty proud to say I have a winning record against Jaedong, and with this win, I’m happy to have one more thing to show off,” Hyvaa said, adding, “It’s my fifth time to the ro16, and this time I want to do really well and be called ‘God Daegeun’” [t/n Hyvaa’s name = Shin Dae-geun, and Dae-geun Shin = God Dae-geun]

Q: You won two ZvZs in a row and advanced to the ro16. Thoughts.
Hyvaa: By losing the first match, it wasn’t what I’d prepared for, and I was worried, but because the losers’ and final matches went my way I advanced to the ro16. While I’m happy, I think there’s still a lot I need to take care of.

Q: Wasn’t it a lot of pressure to be in a group with 3 zergs
Hyvaa: I like ZvZ, and I think I’m good at it, but from hearing I’m bad at ZvZ so many times, I kept thinking, ‘Am I actually bad at it?’ But, I played the matches with confidence. I felt more pressure from the terran Rush being there. I was nervous since the matchups were first announced, but thankfully I didn’t play him.

Q: You were already leading Jaedong head to head, and you won again today
Hyvaa: My favorite [personal] record is that I’m beating Jaedong head to head. Even from my Estro days, I was proud of it, and I’m happy I could win again today.

Q: You have a 3 win streak against Jaedong.
Hyvaa: It’s weird, but when I relax when I play against really good players. So it feels like the matches are going smoother, and when a match feels that good you really don’t want to lose, and it brings out your best play.

Q: In the first match, what were you thinking when you saw Roro’s natural expo
Hyvaa: There’ve been matches where I was ahead but lost, so I didn’t make careless mistakes and focused til the end. I only felt I won when my zerglings ran in to harass.

Q: This Starleague, you’ve shown new determination by beating strong players to the ro16
Hyvaa: I should’ve been showing good performances, and I’m sorry I haven’t. Even after beating Jaedong today, I kept thinking I better not lose to Roro.

Q: This season’s goals
Hyvaa: I’m determined to get to the ro4. I want to win by showing good play. I hope this Starleague gives me the chance to be called ‘God Dae-geun’ again.

Q: Anyone you want to meet or groups you want in the ro16
Hyvaa: I think this Starleague will be more fun than the group selection. My personality is where at first I don’t show my face, but as we get closer I’m a lot of fun. I think it’ll be a lot of fun this time because a lot of players I’m close with advanced. I usually joke around and get made fun of a lot by CJ’s Horang2, but recently I told him, “wait and see in the round of 16.”

Q: Hasn’t it been hard to practice recently
Hyvaa: I didn’t stress too much. My team’s younger players already got to the ro16, and I think by practicing without stress, I got good results.

Q: Anything else you want to say
Hyvaa: Right before I left to come here, we were having our internal ranking tournaments, and even with the pressure to practice, our practice partner Park Gun-soo helped me a lot. And even Calm, who was so sick he went to the hospital, helped me with builds before he left. Right now we’re practicing Starcraft 1 and Starcraft 2 side by side, and it feels like we’re back in the novice days. I hope a lot of people will get excited. This Starleague, I promise to show good play, so I hope people will cheer me on.

Daily eSports reporter – Park Woon-sung – photo@dailyesports.com
Source: http://esports.dailygame.co.kr/news/read.php?id=59755