T1's 'Ho-Seok' (Choi Ho-seok) advanced to the winners' bracket after defeating Dplus KIA's 'Kwak' (Kwak Jun-hyouk) in the first match of the '2026 FSL Summer' Final Stage at the Jamsil DN Coliseum on the 17th. In the first 'Ho-Kwak' rivalry match in 828 days, he showcased overwhelming skill to secure a 3-0 sweep.

In the post-match winner's interview, 'Hoseok' shared his thoughts on the victory: "I was really excited to play against Jun-hyouk after such a long time. I thought it would be a lot of fun, so I prepared for the match with a positive mindset. I'm just glad that the hard work paid off with a good result."

After the second set, 'Hoseok' also expressed some frustration regarding Vinícius and Zidane. When asked about it, he wittily replied, "Zidane played well in the first and third sets, so he was fine, but I was quite disappointed with Vinícius."

The highlight of 'Hoseok's' explosive performance that day was undoubtedly his laser-like shots with Marcos Llorente. Having scored with all three of his attempts, he said, "I try to use those laser shots a lot during practice. I just kicked it the way I always do in training, and it went in well."

The next match features a showdown between 'Light' Kim Sun-jae and 'JM' Kim Jung-min, with the winner set to face 'Hoseok'. When asked who he would prefer to play, 'Hoseok' chose 'JM'. He said, "Both players are talented, so it will be an interesting match regardless of who wins, but I hope Jung-min—a former KT member who hurt me and my team—makes it through. I really want to get my revenge."

Having secured back-to-back 3-0 sweeps, Choi Ho-seok is riding a wave of momentum. He concluded the interview by saying, "I think all the remaining players are very skilled. I’ll prepare thoroughly over the next week so I can win the next match and climb as high as possible."