Cover-Credits:
T1 was triumphant in a wild grand final battle against Virtus.pro, winning 3-2 to crown themselves the ESL One Summer 2021 Champions. T1 was the best teamfighting team in the entire tournament, outperforming their opponents even in situations where they had their backs against the wall. The grand final precisely exemplified their gameplay as they outwitted Virtus.pro in the clutch moments, though the series was quite evenly matched. It was a wonderful display of the young talent in Dota 2, as the players, except for T1’s captain Kuku, are all relatively new to the top-tier competitive scene. With their first place finish, T1 earns a whopping sum of $175,000 USD, while Virtus.pro earns $85,000 with their second place finish.
T1 vs Virtus.pro ESL One Summer 2021 Grand Final: Match Recap, Highlights, and 23savage Interview
Recap
Game 1 saw a relatively quiet and even laning phase as both teams were content farming on their cores. When the teamfights for major objectives like towers and Roshan began, T1 began to come out with positive numbers thanks to some sharp spellcasting and map positioning. Virtus.pro was unable to match the level of its opponents, losing 31 minutes into the game.
Game 2 took a similar form to Game 1, with a passive early game phase with a game plan centered on the mid and late game. It was Virtus.pro with its teamfight skills that came out on top this time, outplaying T1. Karl's Magnus tried some initiations relentlessly but they never paid off as T1 lost in 39 minutes.
In Game 3, Virtus.pro controlled the laning phase while establishing an enormous lead early in the game. They converted this lead into objectives while also finding constant pickoffs on T1's cores. T1 tried to mount a comeback with a cheeky Roshan play, but it was overturned by Save-'s snatch of the Aegis as Kuku and his teammates lost the game in 33 minutes.
Game 4 saw Virtus.pro gaining an advantage in the early phases because of better early game matchups. They made impressive early moves as well, but T1 responded with a couple of brilliant teamfight plays. Axe’s Kuku consistently gave his team some incredible Berserker's Call initiations, and T1 snuffed out the early game deficit for a 43-minute victory.
Game 5 once again witnessed Virtus.pro performing better in the lanes but T1 made some solid map maneuvers to find crucial pickoffs. Kuku, who is not a Broodmother specialist, performed exceptionally well on the hero to make space for his time. In the teamfights, it was once again an outplay by T1 as they closed out the game in 42 minutes.
Highlights
Here are some highlights of the series.
T1 took revenge for the upper bracket final loss to Virtus.pro by winning this time in yet another extremely challenging series. The individual players have all looked splendid while the team coordination has been excellent. In the WePlay AniMajor and the ESL One Summer 2021, T1's strategy of playing patiently at first and then striking back with impeccable teamfighting skills has paid off. They will certainly be a prime contender for TI10 if they keep performing at this level. March's role as a coach cannot be overlooked here, since he is likely to have played a major role in the draft brainstorming process with Kuku.
Virtus.pro loses the first series in the online scene since December 2020 as they had been undefeated in the two Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) DPC seasons so far. Even though they have not been great at the two DPC 2021 Majors, all their players look to be extremely skilled and seem to understand the game well.
DM had communicated in one of the recent interviews that they were in search of a Dota 2 coach. This recruitment will likely improve their preparation for The International 10 (TI10) and help them become more comfortable with LAN games.
Interview: T1 23savage gives his prediction on the TI10 SEA qualifier
In the final post-game winner’s interview, T1’s carry “Nuengnara "23savage" Teeramahanon” thanked all SEA fans who have been supporting them. He said that the team hopes to do well at TI10. 23savage also mentioned Whitemon, saying that he is the best position five player in the world in his opinion.
In addition, the Thai carry also gave his prediction on the upcoming TI10 SEA qualifier.
“I am not gonna be biased but MG.Trust gonna win. They are my boys.”
