The upsets at ESL One Manila continue, as tournament favorites Team Secret were eliminated today in the group stage.
The Western all-star team was taken out by Russian team Empire, along with EHOME, compLexity Gaming, and hometown heroes Mineski.
Secret and Empire’s rematch was the highlight of the second day. In a three-game series, the Russians managed to bounce back from a loss in the first game and win the entire set, securing their position in the playoffs tomorrow against Team Liquid. Reprising his success from the group stage’s opening day, Roman “RAMZES666” Kushnarev’s role in Empire’s victory can’t be understated, as his performance on Spectre and Slark showcased his world-class ability as a carry.
Despite Ramzes’ big plays, the true showstopper for the Russian squad was support player Rinat “KingR” Abdullin, whose impact on Rubick turned the entire game on its head with a clutch Spellsteal of Black Hole. Heading into the third game, this time playing as Disruptor, KingR managed to once again have a considerable amount of impact in several teamfights, making him the standout player of the series according to the analysts.
The second team to advance alongside Empire into the playoffs is the Chinese underdog Wings, who eliminated compLexity in the deciding match for Group A. Wings sent the North American/Swedish team packing, which should be considered an upset given compLexity’s recent streak of impressive placements.
The tournament concludes tomorrow as the four remaining teams will play both the semi and grand finals. The semis will be played in a best-of-three, whilst the grand final is played as a best-of-five.
Fnatic goes up against Wings in the opening game tomorrow. The match will be broadcast on the ESL Dota 2 channel on Twitch from around 12am ET.
