Vitality claims BLAST.tv Austin Major with comeback win against The MongolZ
In front of a hostile Austin crowd that branded them as the villains, Vitality have won the BLAST.tv Austin Major, defeating the fan-favorite The MongolZ in three-map series.
Vitality looked keen on spoiling the party in Austin by jumping out to an early three-round lead on Mirage, but The MongolZ, in their first grand final, retained their composure. The MongolZ regained control, winning 13 of the next 15 rounds, and shutting out Vitality’s T-side to take Mirage 13-5. Usukhbayar "910" Banzragch put on an AWPing masterclass in the second half, notching a staggering 3.57 rating on the CT side.
Needing to answer, Vitality did so on their pick of Dust II, keeping the MongolZ' T-side in check throughout the first half and holding them to only three rounds before half-time. Vitality stayed in control after switching sides, racing to the finish line on Dust II, winning 13-4.
The series was decided, fittingly, on Inferno. The MongolZ got the crowd loud early, thanks to winning a pistol round that included a knife kill by Sodbayar "Techno4K" Munkhbold, but the five-sevens of Vitality answered right back. That round halted The Mongolz' momentum, who got next to nothing from the typically impactful 910 and went into half-time trailing 9-3. Vitality grabbed the pistol round and moved closer to the trophy, reaching match point at 12-3. The MongolZ mustered a few rounds, but Shahar "flameZ" Shushan delivered in the clutch, cementing the perfect Vitality season with a 13-6 win on Inferno.
VitalityThe MongolZ| Vitality |
K - D | +/- | ADR | KAST | Rating 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Shahar 'flameZ' Shushan |
44 - 33 | +11 | 75.5 | 81.5% | 1.31 |
 Dan 'apEX' Madesclaire |
43 - 33 | +10 | 94.1 | 79.6% | 1.27 |
 William 'mezii' Merriman |
47 - 33 | +14 | 88.3 | 75.9% | 1.23 |
| Mathieu 'ZywOo' Herbaut |
37 - 34 | +3 | 78.3 | 79.6% | 1.08 |
 Robin 'ropz' Kool |
41 - 38 | +3 | 81.0 | 77.8% | 1.03 |
| The MongolZ |
K - D | +/- | ADR | KAST | Rating 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Azbayar 'Senzu' Munkhbold |
45 - 41 | +4 | 95.3 | 77.8% | 1.15 |
| Sodbayar 'Techno' Munkhbold |
31 - 37 | -6 | 61.3 | 66.7% | 1.15 |
| Garidmagnai 'bLitz' Byambasuren |
35 - 46 | -11 | 72.5 | 61.1% | 0.95 |
| Ayush 'mzinho' Batbold |
26 - 42 | -16 | 55.1 | 63.0% | 0.85 |
| Usukhbayar '910' Banzragch |
33 - 47 | -14 | 72.0 | 59.3% | 0.70 |
With the win, Dan "apEX" Madesclaire stands alone as the individual with the most trophies won with 33, breaking the tie he had with the now retired Peter "dupreeh" Rasmussen. For apeX it's his third Major trophy, it's the second for ZywOo and ropz, and the first for flameZ and mezii.
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