OU: FMG vs
Lopunny Kicks - Punny is a bit more in-touch with building and strikes me as a slightly better player atm. Both are solid and FMG will give Punny a run for his money, but I do not oftentimes see him overtaking top players. I think that Punny will probably load up a relatively normal balance for his standards and edge him out.
OU:
mncmt vs Leo - mncmt has been on fire all year long. He has a wide array of teams he is comfortable piloting, he is not afraid to take big risks, and he is super experienced in this particular metagame. Leo is solid and I do not doubt his ability to win, as seen with his game against another strong opponent in Sacri', but I think he will fall short here. mncmt's year of brilliance will continue.
OU:
1 True Lycan vs frisoeva - The Baron has had some fresh ideas and strong plays during this tour. Yea, he had some sloppy moments, too, but overall it's a net positive. friso has his fair share of cool showings as well, but I rank him as a bit less consistent than 1TL. It was fun seeing him shift to another tier for a week and perhaps that will really get him surging back in OU, too, but until I see proof of that, I gotta side with 1TL, who has managed to keep his opponent's on their toes throughout the tournament.
OU: TPP vs
Bloody alfa - Bloody is just better, imho. He had a great early year run between STour and WCOP. He may not be as hot now as he was then, but he's still more than good enough to win games in Snake. I think TPP had a great win against Vaboh, but he still needs a bit more experience to reach Bloody's level. I reckon team choice will be a large factor here as if TPP can get comfortable in the early-game, he tends to excel. His games against Vaboh here and Trosko during WCOP are great examples of this. If he struggles early, I do not see him coming back, especially as Bloody is not one to throw away winnable positions.
DOU: Qwello Lee vs
qsns
UU: Lilburr vs
pokemonisfun - Finally
RU: snaga vs
soulgazer
NU:
Sjneider vs CyberOdin
- Lower tier highlight of the week. Odin is an absolute beast, but NU is still Neider's tier. Excited to see teams and play here.
PU:
Xiri vs Santu - Good change by the Bushmasters, but rough first match in PU for Santu.
LC: Z Strats vs
Kingler - Usually DOU players pick-up surprise wins in UU, not LC. But hey, anything is possible, especially when Kingler is on the other side. Still gotta bold my man though, he is more proven in LC afaik.