The first round of the Swiss system sets the initial direction for teams at the tournament and immediately separates them based on the result of the opening series. Avoiding an early loss is especially important, because after just one match, the pressure on the next meeting noticeably increases.
Tournament context
ESL Pro League Season 24 takes place with Group Play in a Swiss Bo3 format. Teams start with a 0:0 record: the winner of the first series moves to the 1:0 group, while the losing team drops to 0:1 and continues the fight in the tournament.
Aurora and 9z met in the opening match. The Turkish roster fully controlled Dust2, while on Mirage they faced much stronger resistance, but still managed to close the map in regulation and finish the series without a decisive Nuke.
How the match unfolded — Aurora vs 9z
Series score: 2:0 in favor of Aurora
- Dust2 (pick 9z) — 13:3 in favor of Aurora
9z could not convert their own map pick. Aurora set a high tempo from the first rounds, quickly created a significant lead, and practically did not allow the opponent to get back into the game. - Mirage (pick Aurora) — 13:11 in favor of Aurora
On the second map, the battle became much closer. 9z stayed close to the opponent until the very end, but Aurora played the decisive rounds better and closed their own pick without going to overtime.
Player of the Match — Ali “Wicadia” Haydar Yalçın (Aurora)
- K–D: 40–24
- ADR: 93.5
- Rating 3.0: 1.50
Key contribution: Wicadia became Aurora’s most productive player in terms of overall impact in the series, finished the match with a large positive frag difference, and consistently created advantages on both maps.
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VRS results
- Aurora — +33 pt → 1741 pt
The victory brought Aurora 33 ranking points. The team kept 9th place in VRS, but significantly strengthened its position and at the same time started the tournament with a positive record. - 9z — -7 pt → 1534 pt
The loss cost 9z seven ranking points and dropped the team from 15th to 16th place in VRS. At ESL Pro League Season 24, the roster will now continue with a 0:1 record.
What’s next?
Aurora move to the 1:0 group of ESL Pro League Season 24, where the next victory will allow the team to reach a 2:0 record and take another step toward the next stage.
9z drop to the 0:1 group. The team remains in the tournament, but another loss will move them to a 0:2 record and significantly reduce their margin for error in the Swiss Stage.
Match summary
Aurora played a confident opening series, taking the opponent’s Dust2 almost without problems and withstanding a much closer battle on Mirage. The second map became the team’s main test, as 9z kept their chance to send the match to Nuke until the final rounds.
Aurora’s main individual force was Wicadia with a 1.50 rating and 93.5 ADR. As a result, the team earned a 2:0 victory, +33 VRS points, and moved to the 1:0 group, while 9z will continue ESL Pro League Season 24 with a 0:1 record.
