TYLOO have clinched their place in the second phase of ESL Pro League Season 21 after battling past FlyQuest in a fiercely contested 2-1 victory. The long-standing Asia-Pacific rivalry was reignited in the 2-2 pool, where both teams were fighting to stay in the tournament. TYLOO stumbled early as FlyQuest managed to steal their Ancient pick with a 16-12 win, but the Chinese squad regrouped on Anubis, securing a 13-8 victory, and edged out the final round of regulation on Inferno to take the decider 13-11.
The road to qualification wasn’t without its challenges for TYLOO, as they initially looked poised for a flawless run at 2-0 before dropping two consecutive series to GamerLegion and MIBR. However, along the way, they proved their resilience by taking a map off a dominant GamerLegion squad and only suffering a one-sided loss to MIBR. The decisive victory over FlyQuest ensured they avoided a collapse from 2-0 to 2-3 and secured their place among the top contenders moving forward. Now, the team will have the opportunity to test themselves against even stronger opposition in the next stage of ESL Pro League.
TYLOO’s team dynamic also appears to be strengthening as they progress through the tournament. Reflecting on the team’s journey, Dongkai “Jee” Ji shared an emotional moment during a post-match interview, revealing that frustration had gotten the better of him after their losses. “We went 2-0 at the start and lost two consecutive best-of-threes, and yesterday after the loss, I expressed some negative energy towards my teammates, which I’m very sorry for,” Jee admitted. “I apologized before the match, and I’m very thankful to have teammates like this.”
The clash between TYLOO and FlyQuest brought back memories of the once-dominant Asia-Pacific rivalry, a fixture that defined regional Counter-Strike during the days of Asian Minors and RMRs. With The MongolZ emerging as Asia’s top team and Lynn Vision pushing to take over as China’s best, TYLOO and FlyQuest found themselves rekindling their past battles on a grand stage. The Australians, who saw their hopes slip away after failing to capitalize on their T-side in the Inferno decider, will be eager for another opportunity to challenge their Chinese counterparts in the future.
