EPT
Interview Source: http://www.fomos.co.kr
![[image loading]](http://www.hiphopmusic.co.kr/minihome_photo/20070625_022911_ba3-rookie112.jpg)
BeSt ain't no thang for the Dino Toss.
-Thoughts and feelings on advancing to the finals.
▲ There's something I said before moving on to the Bacchus finals. I said that if I didn't win the title, I would probably never make it to the finals ever again. My performance slowed down following the loss to Flash, and therefore, I honestly didn't expect to be in finals this season. Of course I wanted to, but I had to face some very tough players on the way. I was especially stressed for this semifinal match against BeSt. For the first time I actually got angry at my teammates while practicing. I want to say thank you to all of my teammates who helped me tremendously.
-You are the fourth person to make the OSL finals at least three times.
▲ I am happy I achieved that record, but I am embarrassed I am the only one without a title. Hearing that fuels my desire to win even more.
- You lost the first game, but you easily won the second.
▲Somebody actually recommended me the build that BeSt used to beat me in the first game. But I wanted play a management based game. I think Best gained an edge in the mental game before the match even began. It was difficult to prepare for five games with such limited time, and I ended up resting for an entire day, too. I practiced some all-in builds without much success. I finally decided to look through some VODs of SKT1 Protoss players on Medusa, and realized that they all used only one build in PvP. So I concentrated on the four-gate build and perfected it this very morning by practicing it countless times. I thought even a 3:0 victory could possibly happen because I spent a lot of time on preparing for game one as well, but the loss made things much more difficult.
- Your Reaver drops were very efficient in the third game.
▲There's a crucial element to remember when using builds like that. Opponents react to Reaver drops by transferring their probes to the natural minerals, so it's important to drop the reaver on the pathway that the Probes will be clumped. It doesn't matter how well the scarabs explode, but rather how clumped the Probes are. It's close to impossible to avoid significant Probe damage.
- The strategy you used in game 4 seemed very good.
▲ I didn't decide on a specific build while initially preparing for Plasma. Different players from different teams have extremely varying play styles and strategies. Through more practice,however, I found out that proxy Gates caused serious trouble - I took full advantage of that. If I managed to find his base right away, I was planning on doing the proxy Gates in base. I would have just done manner pylons if I hadn't. I was really hoping to scout him first. Best delayed my first pylon with nice Probe micro, but his reaction to the proxy Gates was slow because he was completely caught off guard.
![[image loading]](http://img.hiphopplaya.com/minihome_photo/20070625_022823_ba1-rookie112.jpg)
I'll take you to school, BeSt.
- Thoughts on the maps that will be used in the finals.
▲ I was hoping Plasma would be used twice, but the finals map selection ended up being pretty hard, similar to my past experiences. But I think I will be able to win if I prepare like how I did for the semifinals.
- It's an excellent chance to win the title.
▲ The results have not been good in the finals because I underestimated my opponents. Both Flash and Jaedong were the players I had beaten earlier in the Round of 16. I was definitely overconfident. But not this time. I practiced against Fantasy while preparing for Round of 32, and he seemed very good.
- Isn't Fantasy a relatively easy opponent?
▲ No, I don't think so. I have lost to Fantasy a lot in the past practice games. I think I beat him in the Round of 16 because I prepared heavily. Data suggests I have an advantage, but that's certainly not the case. I will not think of him lighthly; I am fully focused on winning my first title.
- Coach Choi (iloveoov) probably helps Fantasy quite a bit.
▲ I think it will be either strategies based on the metal game, like Flash, or just well-prepared builds. But worrying about that too much might mess up my game. Teammates told me that Coach Choi mentioned my name in his interview so I went to go look at it myself. It worked as a strong motivation to win today. I will think of the finals as a match not only against Fantasy but also Coach Choi, which will push me to prepare even harder.
- You have to play in the Round of 16 MSL.
▲ ForGG warned me twice I better show up to the match hundred percent ready. Teammates cautioned me because they could feel the "force" in his interview. I think ForGG said that so he could win fashionably, knowing that I wouldn't be able prepare very much. MSL has not even been on my mind yet...I don't even know the map order for sure. I think I will go home, buy my teammates some good food, and go to sleep. I will be playing tomorrow without much pressure.
- Any last words.
▲ I want to say special thanks to my teammates yoOn[s.g], Brave, JangBi, Endless, and TT. KTF Violet, Lecaf BackHo, CJ Jjonga, Free and Guemchi from Wstars, and MBC Jaehoon all gave me wonderful support. I also wanna thank CJ Much and WeMade Pure for providing me with tips on builds and strategies. eStro Tester and STX Kal helped me out as well. I am thankful for all these players who made practice that much easier.
I was even thinking about writing a list of all of them, but decided not to because it might disrupt my game. Teams have different schedules, and most of them have much earlier bed time than we do, but none of players refused to practice with me.
I felt the exact way today that I had felt at Bacchus Starleague. The number of fans who came out to support me was similar, and my seat felt nearly the same, too. I advanced from the Round of 16 with three wins, and won 2:1 in Round of 8. I also faced Best and Bisu in the Round of 8 and the semifinals. The loud roar of the fans sounded the similar. But it was the loudest tonight by far - I could feel my heart tremble.
I almost teared up hearing my fans even after losing Game 1. I was amazed at all my fans who were willing to support me no matter what. I think that that provided the energy and the focus needed to win Game 2, Game 3, and Game 4. I hope you could all come out and cheer for me at the finals too. Something unusual and different seems to happen when I hear my fans.
GO GET EM STORK!
[This translation is dedicated to my boy Stork]
