IT'S DEJA VU for RRQ PH after securing security a spot at the knock-stage at the expense of a Japanese squad... this time, JP top seed Sengoku Gaming.
RRQ, composed of Keith “DevilJ” Gonzales, Sean “Helios” Miranda Palisoc, Charles “Chaazz” Esguerra, Eric “Exosen” Gubatan, and Marc “Marky” Ilagan beat Sengoku for the second time Saturday night, with the first being their opener in the group stage.
Prior to the day’s match, Sengoku looked like they took notes about RRQ, utilizing some of RRQ’s picks and split pushing strats against Team Queso. But it was RRQ who read Sengoku like an open book, easily taking the sweep.
12th minute teamfight gives RRQ PH the momentum
Game 1 looked like it was going to be a slow match as RRQ only took first blood past the 5-minute mark after a skirmish in mid gave Sengoku’s jungle Wukong to DevilJ's Renekton on a silver platter.
Sengoku continued to handshake RRQ, trying to take objectives opposite RRQ’s champions were as a trade. Unfortunately, RRQ knew what was going to happen as they took a tower in the Baron while able to defend and even take down a Sengoku champ in the Dragon lane.
What secured the momentum for RRQ was a 12-minute team fight for the second Dragon which saw RRQ take down four of Sengoku’s champions without losing a single one.
A minute later, Exosen’s great engage saw RRQ catch out Sengoku’s carry Corki as well as two more champs trying a daring rescue.
Knowing that they’ll be choked out of the map, Sengoku tried a last-ditch pick-off against RRQ’s Rakan in mid, but it turned out to be a trap with RRQ all behind him to easily take the ace and the game.
DevilJ earned an 8/0/6 KDA on his Renekton as he cleaned Sengoku’s backlines. Meanwhile, Exosen showed why Rakan is a must-ban against them, earning 14 assists on it with a single death at the end.
RRQ humiliates Sengoku
Game 2 was a complete demolition of Sengoku as RRQ took the sweep in just under 14 minutes.
RRQ found a massive engage just past the ten and half minute mark with Marky and Exosen landing big Varus and Karma ultis in three of Sengoku’s champions while Helios cleaned up the back line.
This team fight gave the Pinoys the second Rift Herald which they used to break open the base in just the 11th minute of the game.
Sengoku looked like they would hold RRQ’s aggression, catching the Varus alone in the 13th-minute mark. Unfortunately, RRQ was able to return the favor, winning a 3-on-4 fight in Sengoku’s jungle half a minute later, taking down all four RRQ champions.
It was enough to give them the game as they ran down mid to break Nexus in just over 13:50.
RRQ also found early pick-off thanks to some great Chazz ganks on his Riven, who finished the game with a 4/0/12 KDA. But it was Helios on Akali that stole the show earning himself an 8/0/4 KDA as he quickly picked off Sengoku’s main damage dealers in those crucial team fights.
The series win also made RRQ the second Filipino Wild Rift to move to the knockout stage of an international Wild Rift tourney, with Team Secret doing it as well during the Horizon Cup.
Now headed to the playoffs, RRQ immediately faces a tall order as they will face the juggernauts that is FPX, China’s top seed, in a do-or-die best-of-five series on Friday, July 1, 2022.
Despite the tall order, RRQ is looking forward to facing FPX. Exosen in an interview after their J-Team series told Spin.ph that they actually wanted to face the giants of FPX to test if they really are the strongest team.
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