BETBOOM's zorte on his match-point AWP ace that sank Liquid at IEM Beijing

BETBOOM reached the IEM Beijing playoffs after a gruelling series against Liquid that swung from a dominant lead to a nervy decider, with AWPer Aleksandr "zorte" Zagodyrenko producing the moment that settled it.

BETBOOM had raced to a 9-3 lead on Nuke before Liquid clawed the map back. Speaking to HLTV, zorte put the swing down to his side failing to adapt as Liquid began abusing the A site, with the score eventually levelling out: "we were a bit stressed, and I think that's the reason, and they just won the map."

The decider went to Mirage, where zorte had missed a shot on B site in the round before match point. He said he did not let it affect him, treating the miss as a passing moment rather than something to dwell on.

With $7,000 to spend, zorte could have dropped an AK-47 and rifled instead, but captain Kirill "Boombl4" Mikhailov called for him to buy an AWP regardless of the earlier miss. "I think he's just a captain, believing or something like that," zorte told HLTV. The round produced an ace that pushed BETBOOM to match point; zorte put part of it down to Liquid misreading the situation and peeking into positions that did not favour them.

Reflecting on the opposition, zorte said Liquid had impressed him more than expected, pointing to their 2-1 win over MOUZ in Bucharest as evidence of a team building consistency even if recent results have dipped. He named Jorko specifically as a player who still needs more experience, and argued that the scrutiny around Liquid's roster adds pressure that younger players in particular can feel.

zorte took a break from competing after years without proper rest. Nafany and groove invited him to play for TDK, and after a month there he decided he still wanted to compete at the top level. A visa issue affecting another player then opened a route back to BETBOOM, who brought him in. "Life is really unpredictable," he said, adding that following what feels right eventually pays off.

A visa problem had forced BETBOOM into a late lineup change at Cologne. The roster has since had more time to settle as a full five, which zorte linked to teammate S1ren's enthusiasm for the upcoming Singapore Major.

On his own expectations for that Major, zorte was measured, describing it as just one more tournament in his career rather than a special occasion. He said BETBOOM's priority earlier in the season had been climbing into the top 10 to secure invitations to future events, a target he believes the team has now met. "We just need to focus on how we play as a team, and not care about points and stuff," he told HLTV, adding that results at the Singapore Major itself are not his primary concern.