By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
Fnatic ONIC PH closed the opening week of MPL Philippines Season 4 with a strong performance, securing a reverse sweep victory over Blacklist International, 2-1, on Sunday at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.
This win propelled the Sonics to a second-place finish for the week, earning them 2 points, while the Agents ended the week without any points.
The turning point came in Game 3, where Borris “Brusko” Parro’s (Tigreal) two-man Implosion at the 16-minute mark proved crucial.
This play enabled Duanne “Kelra” Pillas (Harith) to secure the Lord and ultimately seal the game for the Sonics.
Kelra was named the match MVP, finishing Game 3 with a flawless KDA of five kills and three assists, while Brusko contributed with four assists and one death.
Fnatic ONIC PH head coach Anthony “Ynot” Senedrin reflected on the victory during the post-match conference: “I wouldn’t say na expected [2-0 kami this week]. It’s more of I was just expecting na yung mga players na magbigay ng magandang performance and they did. We’re very grateful that we got the two wins this week but [it’s good if] and every week is a challenge. So it’s more of us having the focus para sa mga susunod na linggo.”
In Game 1, King “K1NGKONG” Perez (Fanny) gave the Agents a tough time early on.
However, Michael “MP the King” Endino (Bane) turned the tide with a Double Kill during the 9th-minute Lord, ultimately leading to a win for Blacklist.
In the second match, K1NGKONG (Ling) was a dominant force for Fnatic ONIC PH, actively engaging in all teamfights and finishing the game with five kills, four assists, and one death in their 10-3 kill score, concluding Game 2 in just 12 minutes and 50 seconds.
Looking ahead, Fnatic ONIC PH will face Team Liquid PH on August 24 at 7:30 p.m., while Blacklist International will aim for their first win against Smart Omega on August 23, also at 7:30 p.m. Both matches will take place at the same venue.
