made a significant statement on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Esports World Cup
League of Legends tournament. The reigning three-time World Champions defeated
tournament favorites and reigning MSI champions Hanwha Life Esports (2-0). The result carried additional significance given that the most decorated organization in
LoL history had reached the playoffs without having truly been tested beforehand, having secured two victories over GAM Esports in the Group Stage.
In their marquee clash against Bilibili Gaming, T1 had suffered the same fate as at MSI, falling to the reigning LPL champions. Following the victory over HLE,
spoke with
Sheep Esports for a few minutes. The toplaner reflected on his team's start to the tournament while also looking ahead to the remainder of the bracket.
What's your first feeling after today's game?
Choi "Doran" Hyeon-joon: "Winning today's match felt really good, but since we now have to prepare for the next one, I think I'm focusing more on tomorrow's match than enjoying the moment.
What made the difference between you and HLE today?
Doran: I think the moments that decided today's match against Hanwha Life were the skirmishes. Things like the Voidgrub fight in Game 1, we did better in those situations, and that's why I think we won.
Do you feel like the recent losses in MSI or BLG impacted your confidence?
Doran: Even though we lost the BLG series, we still had opportunities left, and my goal is to win the championship. So rather than feeling discouraged, I think I paid more attention to figuring out what kind of play works better.
What should your team be able to do to beat BLG?
Doran: I think we lost the series against BLG because a lot of accidents happened in the early game. If we pay more attention to that side of things, I think we can definitely win.
How do you find the atmosphere in the crowd? Does it feel different than when you play in Korea? In which aspects?
Doran: There were a lot of spectators in the arena, with local fans there, and I also saw many people who came from Korea or from far away. It makes this tournament really enjoyable, and I think it means a lot. Thank you very much. Thank you, everyone!"
