Virtus.pro Defeats T1 in a Fiercely Competitive ESL One Summer 2021 Series

T1 lost 2-1 in the ESL One Summer 2021 upper bracket finals to Virtus.pro in an extremely competitive series. Easily one of the best Dota 2 matches of the tournament, this match featured everything from laning stage prowess to accurate item selection to sumptuous teamfight execution. The first game of the series saw T1 come out on top with an impressive performance, while the second game saw Virtus.pro make a decent comeback after falling behind early. The third game was the best of the bunch as both teams gave their all in a 51-minute nail-biting thriller. As a result of this series, T1 falls to the lower bracket finals, while Virtus.pro earns a top-two finish and an entry into the grand finals of the ESL One Summer 2021.

T1 vs Virtus.pro: Match Recap and Highlights

Recap

Game 1 was a spectacular showing from T1 with Whitemon and Xepher stealing the show on Phoenix and Nyx Assassin. Virtus.pro was in the game in the early phases and put on a courageous fight, but they struggled to deliver consistent damage output. T1 grew tremendously strong and gathered multiple items to seal the deal in 45 minutes.

Game 2 saw T1 establish an early game lead with some excellent laning stage play. Nightfall was extensively shut down on his safe lane Faceless Void. DM, however, played out of his mind on the offlane Kunkka to prolong the game, allowing the other cores to recover. Virtus.pro then showcased exquisite teamfight execution to make a comeback and win the game in 32 minutes.

Game 3 saw Virtus.pro taking command of the early to mid game with their great pickoffs and map maneuvers. But T1, like always, did well to split push the map, preventing Virtus.pro from taking any major objectives. T1 then pulled off some clutch plays to make the game even. Ultimately, it all came down to one crucial teamfight, which Virtus.pro ended up winning.

Highlights

Here are some highlights of the series.

Virtus.pro has dominated online Dota 2 for 10 months, continuing to defeat their opponents. In the previous ESL One Summer 2021 series, they also dominated Alliance and OG in the games that they won. This matchup against T1 was their first true test of the tournament. Virtus.pro has shown consistency right from the laning stages to later game brawls and has been the best team in Europe and CIS.

T1 put up one heck of a fight and was eminently close to taking the series. I believe, as I have said before, that T1 is one of the most accurate teams in the world when it comes to knowing its win condition and steering the match to that point. They have been learning and improving over the last months and have continued to impress viewers.

The winner of OG vs Alliance will take on T1 in the lower bracket finals. Both the lower bracket and the grand finals will be held on June 21, 2021.