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VCT 2022 Stage 1 NA Challengers is the highest stage of Valorant that North American teams can compete in before the top two teams from the region are promoted to the Stage 1 Masters tournament.
In the tournament's Lower Round 1, the North American heavyweight Sentinels took on an in-form Version1 squad in a best-of-three series with elimination on the line. The series, which spanned over three maps, ended in a 2-1 victory for Version1.
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After suffering a 2-0 defeat to Version1 in the Group Stage, Sentinels were determined to overthrow their opponents in this matchup. A remarkable individual performance by TenZ earned Sentinels Map 1 (Haven), and an excellent defensive setup from Version1 succeeded in claiming the decisive rounds on Ascent (13-9) and Fracture (13-8).
Zellsis talks about Version1's experience at VCT 2022 Stage 1 NA Challengers after their victory over Sentinels in Lower Round 1
In conversation with Sportskeeda Esports' Adarsh J. Kumar, Version1's Jordan "Zellsis" Montemurro commented on their victory against Sentinels after knocking them out of the VCT 2022 Stage 1 NA Challengers in a Lower Round 1 fixture.
Q: In Version1's previous encounter against Sentinels (in the Group Stage), V1 emerged with a 2-0 victory. What do you think happened differently this time around?
Zellsis: I think the way they played was kind of like the TenZ effect. I think the first map he went +22. He just dominated us. And when TenZ has a map like that, they're probably just going to win the map. We didn't really adapt to him; we kind of just ran at him.
Q: The last time we saw Version1 on Fracture was in the overtime loss to Luminosity in the tournament's Quarter-Finals. What did Version1 do differently to claim the map in the matchup against Sentinels?
Zellsis: In our first Fracture game against LG, we didn't really play the way we practiced. We let nerves get to us and we changed everything back to how we usually play, which wasn't very good. This time around, we just played the way we practiced and it just worked out for us, so we're pretty comfortable on the map.
Q: Version1 have come a long way since the VCT Stage 1 NA Challengers kicked off with the Open Qualifiers. How would you describe the team's progress in the tournament?
Zellsis: With this roster, I've tried to lower my expectations individually. I'm a very headstrong player. I want to win everything and I want to be the best. I had to kind of pull that back to be a little more realistic.
We've made the progress that we wanted and I'm really proud of my guys and myself for what we have done already. But obviously, the end goal is Iceland. If we don't make it, I won't be too disappointed.
