Ahead of FISSURE Playground S3 Suzhou, 9z rifler HUASOPEEK spoke to HLTV about what the team is still missing to truly break into the top tier, how he improves by studying other entry fraggers, and the reaction to becoming the first Chilean player to earn an HLTV MVP.
Previously, 9z won the XSE Pro League Guangzhou stop in China, where HUASOPEEK also claimed his first HLTV MVP. However, in the tournaments that followed, 9z were eliminated in the group stage twice in a row. Now back in China, they first hope to regain confidence and reach the playoffs, while the ultimate goal remains winning the title.
Q: After winning XSE Pro League Guangzhou, you said 9z was close to a tier-one team. What did the following tournaments show you the team was still missing?
HUASOPEEK: I remember saying in an interview in Guangzhou that we were already close to the top tier, but at the same time we still had many problems.
Later in Paris, we lost to magic. Teams like this are difficult for us to play against, and if we want to truly become a top-tier team, we must be able to beat such opponents.
Q: You said earlier that your experience in Cologne taught you a lot about your role and breaking through. What exactly are you doing differently now compared to before?
HUASOPEEK: Now I will study other entry fraggers, so I will learn a lot from how they do this job, and I think that will help me a lot.
I've watched a lot of kyousuke's matches, I think he's a very excellent entry fragger; and also donk. So I think studying them has really helped me a lot.
Q: You became the first Chilean player to win an HLTV MVP. What has the reaction been like in Chile? Have any messages or reactions left a particularly deep impression on you?
HUASOPEEK: A lot of people messaged me because of this MVP, and I'm the first Chilean player to win MVP.
Since Chile itself doesn't have that many CS players, but even now, I still receive messages from people I never expected to contact me, like Chilean players from other disciplines.
So I'm really happy because so many people have sent me messages.
Q: After winning your first personal MVP, has the way you evaluate your own performance changed? Do you set higher standards for yourself now?
HUASOPEEK: No. I think my standards have always been the same.
I have always just focused on doing my job in the match, and that award will not change me, because after all, it is just an award, nothing more.
So I feel I'm still the same person I was before winning MVP.
Q: Now that you're back in China, what are your expectations for this competition?
HUASOPEEK: Our goal is, of course, always to win the game.
But I think we first need to rebuild enough confidence through the first few matches. After all, we were eliminated in the group stage in the previous two tournaments.
So the first goal now is to reach the knockout stage, and after achieving that, then go on to try to win the whole tournament.