insani hard-carried MIBR to a 2-1 win over Astralis
The semi-finals have been set at Stake Pulse Beat III after Ninjas in Pyjamas, HEROIC, MIBR and 100 Thieves won their respective quarter-finals in Stockholm, Sweden.
Having just traveled back from Malta the night before the playoffs, Ninjas in Pyjamas narrowly avoided punishment for their scheduling headache with a hard-earned victory over Liquid.
The North American side rued the missed opportunity, as they gave up a lead in the series and an 8-0 advantage on the second map, Nuke, as well as a 12-10 on the deciding Cache.
HEROIC then made short work of fnatic before Astralis and MIBR clashed in another three-map affair. There, the Brazilian-majority team had Felipe “insani” Yuji to thank for a hard-carry performance and recovery from a 0-1 deficit in the series.
The 22-year-old ended the series on a 1.78 rating with his second-best teammate on 1.00, putting on a 36-20 masterclass in an overtime win on Cache before leading the way with another dominant showcase on Mirage.
The quarter-final day came to a close with 100 Thieves securing a swift 2-0 victory over Sangal, continuing their return to form and uptick in the Major race, in which they now sit at a healthy 68.1% chance to qualify.
The tournament will conclude on Saturday with the semi-finals, third-place decider and grand final:
