FURIA were meant to stroll this quarter-final. For a map and a half, 9z didn't get the memo.

On their own pick of Dust2, the #15 side were the better team by a distance, building a 9-3 lead and closing it out 13-8, with max sealing it on a 1v2 in the post-plant. FURIA's firepower misfired across the board - only yuurih (1.36) turned up, while KSCERATO managed a 0.62 and FalleN a dismal 0.59. Not the start FalleN wanted in what's meant to be his final Cologne run.

Then YEKINDAR took over. The Latvian put up a frankly silly 1.87 on Mirage - 21 kills, 103.9 ADR - and dragged FURIA from a 6-6 half to a 13-9 win. yuurih's 1v4 in the pistol and a molodoy AWP 1v3 kept the comeback ticking, but this was the YEKINDAR show.

The decider was a write-off. KSCERATO went nuclear in turn (1.90, 19-7), yuurih backed him with a 1.51, and even FalleN found his feet as FURIA raced to a 9-3 lead and cruised home 13-6 on Overpass. HUASOPEEK's MP9 ace was the only round 9z could really enjoy.

yuurih (1.20) was the one constant across all three maps and takes the MVP for the series in our eyes, and FURIA will now march on to face Aurora. 9z, the #15 team in the world who’d already taken down Vitality earlier in the major, pushed the world's #5 to a decider and have nothing to apologise for.

FURIA spent two maps waiting to be rescued one man at a time before the whole side finally turned up on Overpass. Aurora might forgive the slow start, but a best-of-five final might be a different story.