VIT Derke: “When we started hitting flow state as a team, I felt like it was gone”

Following Team Vitality's 2-0 victory over FUT Esports in Lower Round 2 of the VCT Masters London, Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev spoke to Sheep Esports. He discussed the team's recovery after losing to Paper Rex, his health issues during the event, the upcoming clash against Leviatán, and Ștefan "Sayonara" Mîtcu's impressive performance in his first international tournament.

Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev: “I’m feeling good, especially because yesterday we played quite badly against Paper Rex, while they played amazingly. I think they are a very good team, and even though we only managed to take one map and got smashed everywhere else, we can still be happy about that one map. Now, we know how to reset and how to become more competitive on the other maps. We will have a few days to try to fix our issues, and we will see if that works against Leviatán.

I’m also very happy because yesterday I woke up feeling quite sick. It was not exactly a cold, more like a sore throat from the air conditioning or something like that, and I felt horrible. Today, I felt a lot better, maybe around 80% battery, although I was still feeling a bit dizzy on stage. I told the guys before the match, “Try to help me out in some situations with the comms,” and they did an amazing job with that. We had a lot of fun. Honestly, at one point on stage, when we started hitting flow state as a team, I felt like it was gone.

I was not feeling bad anymore. I’m also happy because getting this win means I can rest, recover more, and come back even stronger. The last couple of days have been tough, but I was just pushing forward because I wanted to go deeper in the tournament, recover, and not go home. I want to stay in this tournament and possibly win it. For me, that is the most important thing. When you are sick, you just have to try your best and push through it. In the end, you will be grateful.

Derke: We did not have much preparation, honestly. We remembered some of the preparation from before, but after the Paper Rex match, we got back to the hotel at almost 11 p.m, so there was not much time to prepare. For me, it was mostly about going back, sleeping, and waking up ready. Then we did small bits of preparation. It was mostly reminders about how they play and what they like to do. I think we executed it really well tonight.

Historically, against EMEA teams, maybe I perform a bit better. But against Turkish teams, I do not think I have always been that good. This win, especially when I was not feeling too well, gives me more confidence because I still managed to play well statistically. Some people talked about that statistic before, and I had never really thought about it. Then I looked at some of the matches and thought, “Okay, maybe I see the issue I make there.” Today, I felt good because it worked.

Derke: I’m feeling a lot happier now. We kind of got here by luck, I would still say. Last year, missing some international events really sucked, so being back now feels good. I’m happy to share this stage with my teammates, and I want to see them smile too. I think the biggest difference between us yesterday and today was how much we enjoyed the game.

From round one, even if we lost a round, or if a round was close, we celebrated, joked around, and had way more fun. It made the game much easier to play. I think that is something we lacked a bit against Paper Rex. We will review that match and check what happened. Sometimes there are nerves, sometimes there are other factors, but I’m really happy now.

Derke: Yes, you could say that. I feel like those weaknesses had already been exploited before as well. It was kind of like a slap in the face, a wake-up call. We know these mistakes, and they still happen sometimes. Nobody wants to be in the lower bracket, but sometimes it is good to lose once, drop down, and get reminded of what you need to fix. It is our fault. We made it harder for ourselves, and now we have to fight through it. But I feel like we will learn a lot from it as a team.

We also have two players who are still kind of rookies. Even though PROFEK (Dawid Święć) played last year, I still call him a rookie because he has not played at a Masters before. Against teams like Paper Rex, or other top-tier teams, whether you win or lose, you need to get that experience and understand what it feels like to play against them. I think it is good that it happened now. They played well, and they deserved it more than us.

Derke: Yes, I want to face EDG too because I have played against ZmjjKK (Zheng Yongkang) before. A revenge match against Paper Rex would also be fun. Playing against Leviatán will be fun as well because they are really nice guys. We have met them a lot at the hotel, talked to them often, and wished each other good luck. They are really chill, so I’m excited to play against them.

I also like seeing aspas (Erick Santos) energy on stage. Every time I watch a stream or see his reactions, it puts a smile on my face. The guy looks happy, he is enjoying the game, and I think that is a reminder for everyone else to enjoy it too. I feel like he is living his best moments here. Sometimes people take things too seriously, tilt too much, when in the end it is still a game. People can take example from that.

Derke: I think he is an amazing player, and he will probably stay in the scene for a very long time. Sooner or later, he will establish himself as one of the best players. I think he just needs more experience because a lot of things are new to him at the same time. But I feel like he is getting through it and learning a lot from it. Sometimes, we warn him or talk to him about certain things, and he says, “Yes, yes.” But some things you need to experience yourself. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it does not, but sooner or later, you learn from it.

I feel like he is adapting really well and very quickly. The most important thing is that when he is having fun, it is so easy for him to have a good game. He is also very smart. His comms are probably among the best I have played with. It is really exciting. The guy is only 18. A lot of players at 18 are not at his level. In EMEA, I do not think we have many rookies at 18 who are already reaching his level. Maybe SoP is the only one. He also did really well on the international stage. There are a lot of rookies coming in now, and they are doing things that not many players have done before.”