Lee Jae-ho, who demonstrated the essence of standard Terran play, successfully advanced to the semifinals of ASL Season 22.
On the 22nd, Lee Jae-ho defeated Kim Jung-woo 3-1 in a Best-of-5 match during Match 2 of the Google Play ASL Season 22 Quarterfinals held at FreecUP Studio in Daechi-dong, Seoul. Although he suffered a disappointing loss in the first set, he pulled off three consecutive wins starting from Set 2 through solid Bionic macro play. Below is the full winner's interview with Lee Jae-ho, who advanced to the semifinals with today's victory.
Q. How do you feel about defeating Kim Jung-woo 3-1 and advancing to the semifinals?
I feel great about winning. Since the semifinals will be a TvT matchup, which I'm confident in, I'm excited because I feel I can reach the finals for the first time in a while if I prepare well.
Q. Just like in the Round of 16, you prepared standard Bionic.
I've been preparing various things, but I felt it was still too early to use them in actual tournament matches. It feels like I'm polishing them to showcase if I reach the finals.
Q. You mainly showcased SK Terran playstyles.
When you prepare a single timing attack with Tanks and the opponent defends well, you're put at a disadvantage if it gets stopped. That's why I played with a focus on looking toward the mid-to-late game as much as possible. If I had rushed things, I think everything would have been defended and I would have lost.
Q. Set 4 ended faster than expected in your victory.
I didn't intend to play aggressively, but I got the feeling that my opponent was intimidated.
Q. Isn't Zerg usually favored if a 1-Barracks Double Command goes up against a Zerg who smoothly pumps out a lot of Drones?
If it goes that way, Zerg indeed has the advantage, but perhaps because I've played a lot of unusual styles online, the Zerg player didn't greedily power up as much as expected.
Q. You'll need to prepare a Bo7 TvT against Yoo Young-jin. A Bo7 TvT is quite rare, isn't it?
Last season, I lost 0-4 to Lee Young-ho. I thought a lot about it after that, but I think I'll feel more comfortable this time around compared to back then. Even so, since he's an opponent I've lost to in ASL before, I won't let my guard down. I am a bit concerned about physical stamina, though. Also, it won't be as boring as people might think because he has an aggressive style.
Q. Any final words?
It's probably the same for both Kim Jung-woo, whom I played today, and Yoo Young-jin. They both likely think it's doable and are aiming for a championship title for the first time in a while. I feel the same way, so I'll work hard. I'd also like to thank Kim Seong-dae, Kim Myung-woon, and Park Jun-oh for helping me practice, and express my gratitude to my wife.
