Source: This Is Game
How do you feel about making it to the winners' match of round two?
It feels good. I lost the Ro8 of GSL so I absolutely wanted to get to the winners' match for GSTL. I want to get us to the winners' match, play that match, and then take a break. The reason being that if the matches have a long waiting period, I can lose my sense for the game.
If you lost, your team would have fallen to the losers' round, so weren't you feeling the pressure from that fact?
Last season, I didn't feel any kind of pressure whatsoever. But I seem to get pressured more and more as I play. My hands get strained and the pressure is big, but I told myself that I must win no matter what as I stepped up to play. I knew the team needed me so I told myself that I absolutely must win.
Last year, you guys experienced a loss against PRIME in the playoffs.
I was sitting on the bench back then. I hadn't been in the team for a long time so I didn't hold any kind of impact yet. But I am very satisfied about the fact that we were able to grab revenge against a team we had lost to in the past.
You are once again showing a very strong ZvT form.
I prepared a lot for the Code S Ro8. But then I ended up drying up because of all those preparations. I learned a lot of things again from that loss that day. I changed my mentality after the Code S loss and thanks to that, I think my performances have gotten a lot better.
It must have a been a real shame to get eliminated from the Ro8 of GSL.
I was also eliminated from the Ro8 last season so I've been eliminated twice in a row. When I lost to Seed last season it hit me really hard. But this season, I didn't feel that badly about my loss. I admit that I lost to Mvp in terms of skill and I just hope I can show a better, more developed form in the future. It was a disappointing loss indeed but I've decided not to dwell on it.
Your winners' match opponent will be current champions FXO. How do you think it will go?
FXO is a really powerful team. They had the strength to win the championship last season. But I feel like if we don't underestimate them and prepare thoroughly, we definitely should have a chance at beating them.
For the Ro4 last season, you were sent out early and got sniped by SlayerS_Brown.
I thought of that game as a learning lesson as I lost. I would have gotten too cocky if I had just kept on winning so it was important that I lost last season so that I could learn a lot of things and realize that I am still lacking in certain areas. But I won't fall victim to that again.
How likely will it be for TSL to win the championship this season?
A lot of other teams have a lot of really good players and momentum but as far as I'm concerned, our team is strong enough to not get pushed back in terms of skill. I think we have twice as much of a chance to win the championship than last season.
You now only have the GSTL left. How do you plan on spending these long waiting periods?
I'm lacking in a lot of areas, so I plan on using this time to cover up those holes. I'm going to converse a lot with my teammates as I practice with them and fix the holes in my play. I will practice with Code S Season five in my mind.
For the next season of GSL, the semis and finals will be held at Las Vegas. Do you feel the greed to grab that?
Of course. I saw Mr.Chae's interview several days ago. He stated that if HotS gets released, there is a good chance the the league could transition to HotS and that the next season of Code S could very well be the last WoL tournament. That's why I definitely will aim for the championship next season. I am going to practice extensively and make sure I absolutely don't get eliminated early.
Anything else you would like to say?
I want to thank my teammates for all their hard work and preparation for this match. Today, the manager came out to the studio after a long time. He hadn't been feeling well for a while, but after seeing him today, he seemed healthy so I am relieved about that. I also hope that he will visit the team house often.
I prepare a lot for last season's Code S Ro8. I hope people don't view this as me trying to make excuses but I really was feeling ill that day so I made a ton of mistakes. The fans must have been anticipating some really good games but I wasn't able to deliver so I want to apologize for that. I will work hard so I can fix the areas that I am lacking in and practice hard so I can show you guys the golden time of the Nephalim Zerg form again.
Lastly, I want to say that because inori hyung has no victories in the GSL, he's lost confidence in himself and his plays have been faltering. But he's a good player so I want him to remain strong and keep on playing so that he can hurry up and grab a victory.