EG gets back at Newbee, wins Manila Masters

By Ivan Saldajeno

PASAY—EG romped Newbee, 3-1, in the finals of the Manila Masters at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday night.

The American side bounced back from their 0-2 defeat to the Chinese side in the Upper Bracket Finals on Friday night in style to walk away US$250,000 (around PHP12.25 million) richer.

Sumail Hassan was a force to reckon with in the opener as his Outworld Devourer was just too much for Newbee.

Damien Chok then proved that EG underestimated his Naga Siren gameplay as he, one of the best players to use the hero, provided a great offlane play that helped Xu Han's Ursa rule Game 2 to force the 1-1 deadlock.

EG then quickly went on the offensive early into Game 3 as Hassan's Ember Spirit got the better of Song Chun's Death Prophet, taking a 15-6 kill lead.

But Xu, now playing Lifestealer, turned the game around midway through as he made 12 unanswered kills and put EG's backs against the wall.

Artour Babaev, who struggled for most parts of Game 3, then connected a breakthrough, snapping Xu's run that eventually sparked the endgame attack even as EG skipper Andreas Nielsen, playing Warlock, made a very impressive double golem summoning that completed the comeback.

Newbee let Hassan go for Ember again in Game 4, and he made his opponents pay by carrying the fight for EG en route to the championship.

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