Game 1 on the day goes in our favor with a solid closeout by the boys in #OpTicDota!
— OpTic Gaming™ (@OpTicGaming) July 26, 2018
Much more Dota to come today!
Make sure and tune in to https://t.co/PK7SKUHP6z to support the squad! pic.twitter.com/P6mTzjgtAL
OpTic start well…
With OpTic Gaming only having one match on Day 1, it was time to see what they were made of. They didn’t disappoint versus Let's Do It, picking up the win in both matches.
However, it wasn’t all plain sailing. In Game 1, the early advantage was with the Green Wall, but they let that slip and only a strong teamfight around the 38-minute mark swung things back in their favour. Despite Ludwig 'zai' Wåhlberg suffering a huge 19 deaths on Pudge, they closed out the win.
The second game was a more even affair until the 34-minute mark, when the teams traded kills and OpTic seized the advantage. It took them another twenty minutes, but several successful fights meant they rounded off the win and the 2-0 match.
After falling 0-2 to @Team_VGJ .Storm, @OpTicGaming ends the day with a 3-3 record. Their run in the #DotaSummit 9 Group Stage will continue tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/ji0MdInepo
— Beyond the Summit (@BeyondTheSummit) July 26, 2018
…but then falter.
However, their good start was to be undone in a 2-0 loss to fellow North Americans Forward Gaming. Momentum was never with OpTic, and instead VGJ built a commanding lead. Led by Roman 'Resolut1on' Fominok on Arc Warden, they closed out a relatively comfortable Game 1 in a shade over 40 minutes.
In Game 2 VGJ also built an early advantage, before a strong teamfight from OpTic on the 20-minute mark turned things around. However, VGJ weren’t done, taking back control of the game to close things out.
A perfect day for @Team_VGJ as they defeat @FNATIC 2-0! #DotaSummit 9 Group Stage continues on https://t.co/VZnt4kO1Z3 pic.twitter.com/ZfsKFCkIiy
— Beyond the Summit (@BeyondTheSummit) July 26, 2018
VGJ go big on Day 2
The North American side then continued their charge, recording their second consecutive 2-0 of the day against the Southeast Asia representatives of Fnatic. Game 1 was a relatively even affair until around the halfway point, with VGJ turning it around. A triple kill from Resolut1on on Weaver then sealed the game.
In Game 2 it was much the same. An even match saw midlane star Abed 'Abed' Yusop ahead against Yawar 'YawaR' Hassan, until a massive teamfight on 27 minutes turned things around. Yet another strong performance from Resolut1on, this time on Broodmother, helped secure the match for VGJ and take them to 6-2 overall.
ICYMI: We lost both our games at the #DotaSummit 9 last night...
— FNATIC (@FNATIC) July 27, 2018
The plan for a hidden run from the loser's bracket is all coming into place now. pic.twitter.com/NMcUALsrCE
Fnatic just not performing
It truly was a miserable day for Fnatic as they recorded a second 0-2 loss in a row against the South Americans of paiN Gaming*. Nobody really showed up as an even early game turned into a steady advantage for paiN, led by William 'hFnk3' Medeiros on Slark in the midlane. In the end, they closed out what was a pretty comfortable win.
Game 2 was a different affair, proving to be an absolute marathon. The 73-minute match was truly epic, with paiN battling back from an early disadvantage to build a commanding lead, only to see Fnatic show true character to bring things back to edge ahead. A decisive double Black Hole from Otávio 'tavo' Gabriel on Enigma then condemned Fnatic to the loss.
Currently 5-1, @EvilGeniuses take the lead in the #DotaSummit 9 Group Stage! Good news for the fans who bleed blue. pic.twitter.com/n20GqvBa4z
— Beyond the Summit (@BeyondTheSummit) July 27, 2018
Evil Geniuses show form
In the day’s final match we saw Evil Geniuses take a routine 2-0 over paiN, who were likely suffering the effects of their match against Fnatic. Game 1 was a straightforward affair, with Sumail 'SumaiL' Syed Hassan putting in a monster performance on Pugna to go 23-4-17 and lead his side to victory after 48 minutes.
Game 2 is where EG really showed what they could do, absolutely dismantling paiN inside 17 minutes. SumaiL once again went big on Broodmother, ably supported by a dominant toplane performance from Artour 'Arteezy' Babaev on Bloodseeker and Tal 'Fly' Aizik on Phoenix. Sitting second in the group having played a match less, could their Day 1 win over VGJ prove decisive?
Which was your match of the day? Let us know below!
Header image © @tgphoto_ / Beyond the Summit
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