Aurora have defeated 9z in a straightforward 2-0 rematch to secure a playoffs spot at the Thunderpick World Championship in Malta.
They have earned themselves a matchup against FURIA in the semi-finals, a rematch from their encounter in the group stage of ESL Pro League Season 24 just 10 days ago, in which Aurora came out victorious 2-1.
With the victory over 9z, Aurora continue their successful streak, now securing their third consecutive finish after a runners-up placing at StarSeries and third place at ESL Pro League.
It came as a recovery from their tough start to the tournament, which saw 9z deal Aurora a heavy blow with a 13-11 win on Inferno and a 13-1 on Nuke.
Ashley “ash” Battye and company understandably decided against the Nuke pick the second time around and opted for Cache instead.
They got off to a winning start in the series thanks to some clutch play from Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski, which helped Aurora start strong on both sides, before they narrowly escaped a comeback attempt from 9z in the second half with a low buy win in round 24.
A replay of Inferno followed, which was made considerably easier by a dominant CT side spearheaded by Ali “Wicadia” Haydar Yalçın on the B bombsite. The 21-year-old held strong against 9z‘s approaches, picking up a marvelous AWP highlight in a round 8 where the saved gun made all the difference:
The match ends 9z‘s road at the tournament in Malta, where the South American side ultimately continued their run of group stage exit, extending their streak to five tournaments in a row without a playoffs finish.
