Last season's champion Park Sang-hyun successfully advanced to the quarterfinals after finishing first in Group A of the Google Play ASL Season 21, held at Freec Up Studio in Samseong-dong, Seoul, on the 13th.

In the first match, played as a single game, last season's winner Park Sang-hyun opened with a 12-hatchery build, while Yoon Su-cheol opted for a 9/9 gate, giving the Protoss player a build advantage. With the Zerg at 11 o'clock and the Protoss at 7 o'clock, the vertical spawn positions favored the Protoss. However, Yoon's zealot rush control was poor, and he failed to destroy a Sunken Colony that had only 2 HP remaining. This allowed Park to gain the upper hand and secure an easy victory.

The second match was a Terran vs. Terran battle between Jo Gi-seok and Choi Ho-seon. Both players opened with factory doubles, followed by a ground unit skirmish. Choi gained a slight edge through superior unit positioning and Wraith control, eventually dominating Jo's main base with a dropship play to claim the win.

In the first set of the subsequent winner's match, Choi Ho-seon attempted a center BBS (Barracks - Barracks - Supply) against Park Sang-hyun on Octagon. Park had played greedily after a 12-hatchery opening, and Choi successfully baited him by showing only two Marines to feign an 8-barracks build, catching many of Park's drones to win the first set.

In the second set, Park's gamble paid off. Having lost the first set easily, Park used a 4-pool build on Match Point to tie the series 1-1. The final third set was a standard macro game. Against Choi's choice of Vultures and Valkyries following a natural expansion, Park played greedily with early Mutalisks and held an advantage. However, Choi regained the initiative through Vulture harassment and his signature chaotic playstyle, transitioning into a late-game mechanical composition.

Park, however, remained unfazed. After securing four gas geysers, he transitioned into Zerglings, Ultralisks, and Defilers, while incorporating drops to brilliantly disrupt the Terran forces. By producing Queens to neutralize many of Choi's tanks and dealing heavy damage to the Terran economy with his Zergling and Ultralisk army, Park secured the win and advanced to the quarterfinals as the group winner.