The Esports World Cup open qualifier continued its massive run as eight more teams punched their tickets to the playoffs from Groups 9-16.
Most of the favored rosters delivered exactly what was expected of them. Both Liquid and 100 Thieves dominated their respective paths, cruising through to the next stage without dropping a map along the way.
However, not every team had a straightforward journey. Eternal Fire experienced an unexpected Friday defeat at the hands of NADE, but caught a break when SadFamous handed them a forfeit. This sent the Turkish squad straight into the decider match, where they got their revenge and locked down a playoff berth.
One of the most exciting series of the round saw Echo pull off a 2-1 victory over OG. The loss forced Casper "cadiaN" Møller and his squad into the decider bracket, where they'll need to battle for their playoff lives.
EYEBALLERS also had a dramatic run against Phantom. The Swedish team lost a heartbreaker on Ancient, falling 17-19 in double overtime to Nico "nicoodoz" Tamjidi's side. But they regrouped on Anubis and mounted a successful comeback to secure their advancement.
With these results, the playoff picture is becoming clearer as the tournament continues to narrow down its field of competitors.
