By: Jerod Orcullo
Aurora extended its winning streak to five after surviving a reverse sweep attempt by TNC Pro Team, 2-1, on the final day of Week 3 in MPL Philippines Season 15, Sunday at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.
Renejay “Renejay” Bacarse displayed his brilliance throughout the series, earning MVP honors in Games 1 and 3.
The “Hitman” surprised everyone by pulling out a rare Tigreal pick in the opening match, setting the tone for Aurora’s dominance. He tallied nine assists with just four deaths in that game, while his Hylos played a crucial role in the series-deciding match, posting a steady 1/1/5 KDA.
In an exclusive interview with Tiebreaker Times after the match, Renejay admitted he felt extra motivated heading into the contest, especially since he was facing his former teammate and close friend Tristan “Yawi” Cabrera.
“Oo meron, sobrang meron, kasi sa totoo lang ayaw ko din talaga matalo. Syempre, kasi nga gusto kong i-try o isubok talaga kung ano na talaga yung, kung ano na ba ko ngayon, kung kaya ko na siya,” Renejay shared.
“Kasi kahit sabihin mo na tinatalo ko siya minsan sa rank game, natatalo ko yung ibang roamer eh si Yawi hindi ko pa siya natatalo so dagdag motivation siya sakin nung bago palang mag-start,” he added.
Aurora dominated TNC in the series opener, with Jan “Domengkite” Delmundo, Cedrix “Demonkite” Caranto, and Kenneth Carl “Yue” Tadeo all remaining untouched, thanks to the space created by Renejay and Edward “Edward” Dapadap. They secured the victory in just 13 minutes and 10 seconds.
The “Phoenix Army” responded in Game 2, as Yawi’s Chou disrupted Aurora’s rhythm to force a deciding match.
However, TNC’s momentum faded in Game 3 as Aurora employed a slow and methodical approach to clinch the series victory.
With identical 5-0 records, Aurora and Team Liquid Philippines will face off this Saturday at 2:30 PM in a battle of undefeated teams.
Before that, TLPH will take on TNC in the opening match of Week 4 of the season.
