The Esports World Cup continues to deliver jaw-dropping surprises as JiJieHao secured a stunning 13-10 victory over Spirit in Group A's best-of-one series.
Despite Danil "donk" Kryshkovets putting up a fight, Spirit struggled throughout the match. The team fumbled a crucial 4v2 situation, and star player Dmitry "sh1ro" Sokolov delivered an uncharacteristically poor performance with missed shots and questionable decision-making.
Spirit's recent form has been concerning. While they reached the BLAST Bounty final in Malta, their performance was inconsistent. In Paris, their level dropped even further below their usual standards.
"We are feeling so confident," Dionis "sinnopsyy" Budeci said after the match. "We just beat the world number one so I don't know what to say anymore."
The veteran player, known for orchestrating similar upsets with Bad News Eagles, led the charge for JiJieHao with impressive 95.4 ADR and a crucial triple kill in the second pistol round.
Lebanese AWPer Hussein "m1N1" Hijazi also delivered an exceptional performance, contrasting sharply with sh1ro's dismal 0.52 rating. His triple kill in a pivotal 2v4 clutch and perfectly timed rotations proved decisive as JiJieHao's aggressive stack gambles paid off.
Spirit now face an elimination best-of-three against Luminosity tomorrow, while JiJieHao will battle GamerLegion for a spot in the round of 16.
