Park Sang-hyun, who won ASL Seasons 20 and 21, defeated his idol Jaedong 3–1 to advance to the semifinals of Season 22 as well.
On the 28th, at FreecUP Studio in Daechi-dong, Seoul, Park Sang-hyun dropped the first game in Match 3 of the Google Play ASL Season 22 Quarterfinals against Jaedong, but maintained the upper hand in build orders from Set 2 onward to win 3–1. Below is the full post-match interview with Park Sang-hyun.
Q. How do you feel about defeating Jaedong 3–1 and advancing to the semifinals?
He was the opponent I wanted to face least. He is the only gamer where I feel outmatched in momentum. I respect him so much, which made me want to avoid him even more. But I thought we had to face each other at least once eventually.
Q. Aside from it being Jaedong, how was the ZvZ match?
Ever since the Group Selection for the Round of 16, I tried to avoid ZvZ matchups. However, in the Quarterfinals, all the second-place finishers except for Group A turned out to be Zerg players. So among the Zerg players, I think it is meaningful that I got to play against Jaedong.
Q. How did you prepare for the match?
I focused a lot on practicing to make the right decisions and execute good control in every moment.
Q. Your strategic planning and build-order battles were also strong.
Set 2 was on my pick of map, and I felt Jaedong might pull out a bold build like a 12 Hatchery, so I prepared a 9 Drone. Winning Set 2 helped me regain momentum. As for Odyssey, I played on it while helping Kim Yoon-hwan prepare, and I noticed him practicing a 6 Drone build. I borrowed that. It so happened that our build choices diverged, which led to my victory.
Q. You will face the winner of Shin Sang-moon vs. Kim Min-chul.
Facing a Terran player makes practice more satisfying, and I think viewers also find Terran vs. Zerg more exciting to watch. However, Kim Min-chul is such a strong player that I expect him to win.
Q. How difficult was your preparation for this season?
For the Round of 16, I didn't prepare anything specific and focused on practicing fundamentals, so preparing for the Quarterfinals wasn't particularly difficult either.
Q. Do you have a strong desire for a third consecutive title?
More than winning three in a row, beating Flash to win last season was the biggest moment for me. Now I don't feel any particular pressure and will take on the challenge with a comfortable mindset. Just getting the opportunity to play on a great stage against legendary players like Flash and Jaedong feels like good fortune in itself. I will prepare well for the semifinals and try to reach the finals.
