But the other two games ended in early defeats, as DRG was able to overwhelm her with zerglings and banelings that kept her busy with micro while he cranked up his economy to brute-force her out of the game. She won their second game in the air with a perfectly timed Mutalisk assault that exploited her superior upgrades at the exact moment DRG was most vulnerable. Their ZvZ battle was an interesting one, showcasing both players’ incredible micro and Scarlett’s at-times-uncanny ability to get inside her opponent’s head. Sasha “Scarlett” Hostyn easily swept past NaNiwa and Axiom’s Ryung (a GSL semi-finalist!) before getting sent to the loser’s bracket by Sleep, where she had the misfortune to run into DongRaeGu. The biggest surprises of the tournament were Scarlett, HuK, and Snute, each of whom played some of their best StarCraft and claimed a number of apparent upsets. StarCraft 2 followed a familiar pattern as a handful of non-Korean players made surprisingly strong runs for the final bracket, only to get picked off by their Korean rivals. All they’ve got to do is beat the best players their sports have to offer.
![m5 vs azubu blaze ipl 5 m5 vs azubu blaze ipl 5](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_912,h_516,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/5811374e4ec3907a3100000e.png)
Today was elimination day at IPL 5, and for the most of the entrants still in play, the championship is now a tantalizingly close possibility. Then they’re gone, watching the tournament from the sidelines or vanishing altogether. Plenty of great stories come out of it, but there are inevitable disappointments as fan favorites fall short with the spotlight on them, and underdogs don’t rise to the occasion. In no time at all, the competition field, with all its potential for amazing matchup and great stories, is whittled down to a handful of contenders as possibilities give way to results. No matter how good the tournament, I always find the first day and the early rounds a bit sad.