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9 months ago
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On the final day of the Riyadh Masters 2023 group stage, North American (NA) Dota 2 was dealt a devastating blow as Tundra Esports knocked out both TSM and Shopify Rebellion. The day started with Shopify Rebellion losing 2-0 to Team Aster and TSM losing 2-0 to Team Aster, forcing the two teams into an elimination Bo1 three-way tiebreaker along with Tundra. Despite TSM taking the first game over Shopify, Tundra's immaculate map positioning and teamfight execution were too much for the two NA teams to handle. Tundra advances to the playoffs of the Riyadh Masters 2023 with this tiebreaker win.
TSM vs Shopify Rebellion vs Tundra Esports: Tiebreaker recap and highlights
Recap
TSM vs Shopify Rebellion
The clash between the top two NA teams featured two well-balanced drafts with specific win conditions. TSM triumphed in the safelane, as Timado on Terrorblade and Whitemon on Undying forced the opposition offlane pair out. TSM's early kills provided the team an edge, which it utilized at a time when Shopify's draft was relatively weaker, TSM pushed the bounds to find objectives while Arteezy was just starting to accelerate farm and SabeRLight- was playing catchup. Shopify was overwhelmed by the damage and tapped out of the game after 24 minutes.
Tundra Esports vs TSM
Even though Tundra led for the majority of the game, this matchup proved to be considerably more competitive. During teamfights, 33 was a massive thread on his trademark Doom and identified critical Ultimate targets for the team. There were a couple of moments where Bryle's Puck and Timado's Terrorblade presented some threats but Aui_2000 stole the show with some flawless Blackholes on Enigma, shattering TSM's hopes and allowing Tundra to win in 44 minutes.
Tundra Esports vs Shopify Rebellion
Tundra and Shopify started the game on an equal footing, with Shopify slightly ahead because skiter on Bloodseeker and 33 on Broodmother did not have the greatest lanes. Arteezy was also extremely active on Terrorblade, farming not only creeps but also heroes. However, the game slowed down due to Tundra's signature map play. The team spread its heroes so well around the map that Shopify was unable to extend its advantage and began to lose the farm game. 33 was the greatest winner of this period of play, as he developed into Tundra's main carry, and with overwhelming damage available against Shopify's lineup, the team won in 36 minutes.
Highlights
Here are the highlights of the series.
A middling performance on the group stage never improved on the final day, when one win would have propelled either TSM or Shopify into the playoffs. There has been a decline in form for both teams, particularly for the latter, making it more difficult to compete at the international level where competition is becoming increasingly tough and pressure is building with The International 2023 closing in.
Following the departure of Martin "Saksa" Sazdov just before the start of the tournament, Tundra did not have the best showing in the group stage but came through in the tiebreaker with coach Kurtis "Aui_2000" Ling stepping up. The game against Shopify brought back memories of Tundra's exceptional map play, and if this continues throughout the playoffs, Tundra could make a deep run.
However, it is going to be a tough matchup in the lower bracket playoffs for Tundra, who will play the loser of Team Liquid vs Gaimin Gladiators, two of this year’s best teams.
