Top Esports is bringing top laner 369 and support Zhuo back into the starting lineup for its 2021 LPL Summer Split match against LNG Esports tomorrow, according to LPL caster Munchables.
These roster changes come after TES lost their last match against Invictus Gaming 2-0 yesterday. Considering that their next series could be much more difficult, bringing back veteran players who can handle the stress and pressure could be crucial in Top’s quest to secure a playoff spot in the 2021 LPL Summer Split.
369 was the team’s starting top laner last split and led his squad to a top-three finish in the regular season. During the playoffs, Top fell short in a close best-of-five series against Royal Never Give Up, losing 3-2 to the team that went on to win the LPL title. 369 was seen as a middle-of-the-pack top laner statistically who didn’t require many resources to perform well. Going into the Summer Split, though, he was replaced by 19-year-old rookie Yu “Qingtian” Zi-Han, who’s been outmatched by most LPL top laners so far this summer.
Zhuo, on the other hand, has played 19 games throughout the split but was subbed out after losing to Suning a couple of weeks ago. That decision was seen as strange at the time considering that Zhuo performed quite well in the series before his benching and was much more confident in his engages on champions such as Leona, Thresh, and Nautilus compared to his counterpart, yuyanjia, who took over the support role recently.
Top (7-5) are in 10th place in the LPL standings and every win matters with only a handful of matches left in the regular season. A win against a top team like LNG could boost their morale and improve their chances of securing a playoff spot in the 2021 LPL Summer Split.
Tune in tomorrow at 6am CT to see if these changes will help Top pick up a much-needed victory.
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