Defending champions OG qualify for TI10 after outlasting Nigma, Tundra

OG, the back-to-back defending The International (TI) champions, are getting a chance to defend their title and win a third-straight Aegis of Champions at TI10.

They outlasted Team Nigma 2-1 in the lower bracket finals, then beat Tundra Esports 3-2 in the grand finals of TI10's Western European qualifier to become the final team to earn a spot in this year's iteration of Dota 2's annual world championship tournament.

OG started the final day of the qualifier in the lower bracket finals against Team Nigma after Tundra soundly swept them in the upper bracket finals. In another dramatic rematch of the TI9 grand finals, OG defeated Nigma to deny them a spot in Bucharest and earned the right to challenge Tundra in a best-of-five showdown.

OG slipped in the opening game of the finals against Tundra, as they threw away a dominant early lead to hand their opponents a 59-minute win in game one.

Undeterred from their loss in the previous game, OG dominated Tundra in a 35-minute game two to quickly tie up the series, 1-1. Sumail "SumaiL" Hassan put up 13 kills against two deaths on Terrorblade to lead the way for OG in their first win of the finals.

A resilient Tundra quickly shook off the drubbing they took in the previous game, as they absolutely dominated OG in a 36-minute game three to take a commanding 2-1 series lead.

With OG having their backs against the wall in game four, SumaiL on Templar Assassin and Sébastien "Ceb" Debs on Axe willed their team to a game five. After a close early-to-midgame, OG made good use of their superior map control and a seemingly never-ending flood of Axe illusions to edge out Tundra in 47 minutes.

SumaiL notched a game-high 13 kills against two deaths to lead OG as they forced the finals to a do-or-die game five for that all-important spot in TI10.

With a spot in TI10 just one win away, SumaiL on Templar Assassin again carried OG all the way across the finish line. The two-time TI champions came out of a closely-contested early game swinging, as they outplayed Tundra in fight after fight behind their unstoppable carry player.

Despite Tundra's best efforts to defend, the two-time TI champions could not be denied as they claimed a 31-minute victory in game five and punched their ticket to TI10.

SumaiL played a perfect game when his team needed it the most, as he notched a clean 14 kills to pace OG's final 34-17 kill score at the end of game five.

OG now join Elephant from China, Fnatic from Southeast Asia, Team Spirit from Eastern Europe/the CIS, Undying from North America, and SG Esports from South America in the list of teams that earned their spot in TI10 through the regional qualifiers.

Meanwhile, Evil Geniuses, PSG.LGD, Invictus Gaming, Virtus.pro, Quincy Crew, T1, Vici Gaming, Team Secret, Team Aster, Alliance, Beastcoast, and Thunder Predator earned direct invites to the tournament.

Valve announced on Thursday (8 July) that TI10 would be moved from August to October and pulled out of Stockholm, Sweden, after it failed to get recognition as an 'elite sporting event'. TI10 will now be held in Bucharest, Romania from 7 to 17 October, where the 18 participating teams will be fighting to claim the coveted Aegis of Champions and the lion's share of a massive US$40 million prize pool.

Rosters:

OG:

1. Sumail "SumaiL" Hassan

2. Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen

3. Sébastien "Ceb" Debs

4. Martin "Saksa" Sazdov

5. Johan "N0tail" Sundstein

Tundra Esports:

1. Oliver "skiter" Lepko

2. Leon "Nine" Kirilin

3. Neta "33" Shapira

4. Jingjun "Sneyking" Wu

5. Adrian "Fata" Trinks

Read also:

COMMENT: The madness that was the TI10 qualifiers a testament to the strength of SEA Dota

TI10 preview: The teams to watch in the regional qualifiers

Alliance's Loda slams government's 'stab in the back' as Valve pull TI10 out of Sweden

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