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SKT clinches Worlds quarterfinal spot with win vs. I May

The defending champions move on and guarantee a top eight finish.

By Pete Volk
Riot Games

Defending League of Legends world champions SK Telecom T1 have clinched first place in Group B, earning a spot in the quarterfinal round with a 16-10 win over I May in 45 minutes Sunday. All three of Group B’s remaining teams can still join SKT in the next round, with two games remaining and all three teams at 2-3.

Blank picked up First Blood after he and Wolf ganked mid at four minutes, returning five minutes later for another kill on Athena to path Faker’s lead in the mid lane.

At 10 minutes, Blank tried to extend that lead top with a gank, but a perfectly timed countergank by Avoidless turned the trade two for one in I May’s favor.

SKT pulled out a heavy AD poke composition, led by a brutal Jayce-Varus-Caitlyn combination, and I May responded with AmazingJ’s signature Nautilus and a surprise Kha’Zix in the jungle. SKT’s damage was hard to control:

But as I May built armor items, especially AmazingJ, they were able to take some fights even with SKT holding complete map control. At 36 minutes, Avoidless stole Baron to extend the game even further.

It still wasn’t enough. SKT still managed to siege while I May had Baron, eventually taking Elder Dragon at 40 minutes and a 4-1 fight. With a 10k gold lead firmly in hand, SKT was able to march into the base and finish off the game.

I May started the day with a win against Flash Wolves, and the Chinese underdogs’ tournament hopes now rest on its final game against Cloud9. While SKT has clinched the No. 1 spot already, its day isn’t over yet. The last schedule game of the day will be SKT vs. Flash Wolves, and while it may not seem on the surface that SKT has any stakes in the match, Flash Wolves have defeated the Korean powerhouse three times in a row.

Winners of two of the last three Worlds, SKT is looking to become the first repeat winner and the first three-time winner in the tournament’s history. SKT already made history this season just by qualifying for Worlds, becoming the first defending champion to do so.

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