Cover-Credits:
Tundra Esports is the first Grand Finalist at The International 2022 (TI11) after it defeated Team Secret in an exhilarating best of three series. Tundra Esports had a good start to the season, as the team managed to claim back-to-back top four finishes during the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) season and a third place finish at the Stockholm Major. While the team did falter at the Arlington Major, the team looked to be in perfect form at Singapore.
While Tundra will move on into the Grand Finals, Secret will face Team Liquid in the Lower Bracket tomorrow in a final attempt to qualify themselves.
Team Secret vs Tundra Esports: Match Recap
Both teams were undefeated throughout the Main Event playoffs. However during the Group Stage, both teams faced each other with Tundra claiming the win against its Western Europe rivals.
While Tundra had a good Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) season, Team Secret had a tougher journey in order to make it this far at the tournament as the team had to claw through the Last Chance Qualifiers as well as the Group Stage.
Game One
Team Secret started off the draft by picking up Monkey King (MK) for Remco "Crystallis" Arets & Ember Spirit for Michał "Nisha" Jankowski while Tundra went for its comfort picks in Outworld Destroyer for Leon “Nine” Kirilin & Naga Siren for Oliver “skiter” Lepko.
The early game went in the way of Team Secret as the MK-Ember Spirit combo had a good laning phase. However, all of the action happened during the mid-to-late game phase as the game ended up being a war of attrition between the two teams.
With the game going beyond the 60th minute marks, both teams were looking at a stalemate. However, Tundra Esports were slowly gaining the upper hand as it forced Secret to fight on its terms. Despite Nisha’s Divine Rapier purchase, Team Secret were forced to call the game as Tundra claimed Game One after just over 67 minutes.
Game Two
With one game away from its first ever TI Grand Finals appearance, Tundra Esports drafted its signature Terrorblade-Primal Beast combo while Team Secret went for stability as it picked up Drow Ranger, Pangolier & Dawnbreaker as the core lineup.
While the early game was even between both teams, the mid-game saw Tundra having the upper hand as Nine’s Primal Beast was unkillable at the time. However, Tundra were unable to capitalize on its advantage as Roman "Resolut1on" Fomynok’s Dawnbreaker was on another level, while Crystallis’s Drow Ranger cleans up after with a rampage to his name.
Game Two ended after 45 minutes as Secret was victorious.
Game Three
With one game deciding the first Grand Finalists of TI11, both teams were looking to give it their all to make it into the Grand Finals. Tundra went all in for team fight potentials as it drafted Chaos Knight, Tusk and Enigma as its core lineup while Secret went for an all-rounded draft as it picked up Gyrocopter, Zeus and Dawnbreaker.
While the early game was again even as both teams traded blows, the mid game phase saw Tundra slowly gaining an advantage as skiter’s Chaos Knight & Nine’s Tusk were providing a lot of kill potential. While Secret did try to come back into the game, Tundra’s draft proved to be too much for Secret to handle in the late game as Tundra Esports claimed Game Three after 35 minutes.
Following the series, Tundra Esports is the first Grand Finalist of TI11 while also guaranteeing itself a top two finish. Secret on the other hand, will have a final chance to make it into the Grand Finals. However, it will face another familiar foe in Team Liquid tomorrow.
