By: Jerod Orcullo
Aurora and TNC Pro Team kicked off the final day of Week 3 at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati with a thrilling three-game series. Aurora successfully defended its perfect record, improving to 5-0 in the standings.
Sunday evening’s matchup also marked the first clash between former NEXPLAY Evos teammates Renejay “Renejay” Bacarse and Tristan “Yawi” Cabrera since Yawi’s return from his stint with Team Liquid Indonesia.
Both players, having decorated careers, were instrumental in their respective teams’ victories throughout the series.
This wasn’t the first time the two squared off on the MPL PH stage. Representing Blacklist International, Renejay faced Yawi, who was playing for ECHO Philippines, in the Lower Bracket Finals of MPL Philippines Season 12. Yawi was inserted as a substitute before the third game of the best-of-five series.
Although Renejay won the series, he admitted that he never considered it a true victory over his former teammate. He revealed that he knew Yawi wasn’t in game shape prior to the match.
“Yung Season 12, hindi siya yung main na lineup na naglalaro, si Jaypee yun eh, tapos nung nakalaban ko siya nun hindi siya nag-prapractice nun alam ko hindi siya nag-prapractice so hindi ko siya sinama sa listahan na natalo ko na siya,” Renejay shared.
Yawi confirmed this, adding, “Sakin po siguro ngayon mas ano po, mas nakapag-practice po, full po yung practice ko compare po nung nagtapat kami nung Season 12 po ata yun. So yun po siguro, yun lang po siguro, kasi ngayon po parehas kaming batak eh, naglalaro.”
In an exclusive interview with Tiebreaker Times, Renejay expressed nothing but admiration for Yawi after their Sunday night match, particularly praising his roamer skills and his signature Chou pick, which has become a trademark for the 23-year-old.
“Isa talaga siya, legit na isa siya sa pinaka-iniidolize kong roamer kasi talagang ano, sobrang tindi niya maglaro talaga nung time na prime nila nung ECHO, talagang grabe yung Chou niya, pero kanina yung pinakita niyang Chou grabe rin talaga,” Renejay said.
Renejay also commended Yawi for helping turn TNC Pro Team’s fortunes around, leading the franchise to its best start to a season since Season 9, despite having a roster of relatively new players.
“Ako sa totoo lang, magaling talaga si Yawi kasi nung nasa ECHO siya syempre nandun yung mga malalakas niyang ka-team eh, pero dahil napunta siya sa TNC, yung mga ka-team niya bago lang pero nagawa parin nilang umangat, hindi sila yung makulelat,” he remarked.
“Siguro dinala ni Yawi yung mga best practices nila pagdating ng ginagawa niya sa ECHO dinala niya sa TNC, so yung TNC talaga parang grabe yung aggressive ng nilaro nila, kaya kudos kay Yawi kasi tingin ko isa siya sa pinaka-malaking factor kung bakit nasa gitna na yung TNC.”
With their next matchup scheduled for April 27, Renejay expects TNC to provide an even tougher challenge, especially as he anticipates the “Phoenix Army” developing better team chemistry in the coming matches.
“Sa matchup namin next, tingin ko mas maganda yung magiging result, kasi nandun na yung point na mas solid na yung chemistry nila, mas marami na silang matches nilaro so yun yung tingin kong mas maganda at mas kaabang-abang, promise.”
