After two consecutive delays due to the impact of COVID-19, the LPL Spring 2022 playoffs have finally returned. On April 12th (Vietnam time), Top Esports successfully staged a comeback against Victory Five – a team considered to be stronger. Notably, TES even let their opponents lead 2-0 in the BO5 series. Thanks to the timely performances of Tian, Knight, and JackeyLove, TES made an impressive comeback, becoming the first team to secure a spot in the Winner’s Bracket semifinals.
In the other matchup, Royal Never Give Up is predicted to face a tough challenge against JD Gaming. Both teams are currently performing well and can be considered quite balanced. Notably, in recent matches, JDG has won comfortably. Even in their rematch against Weibo Gaming with SofM, although the game extended to game 4, JDG still easily crushed their opponents.
Evaluating the remaining matchup of round 4, Doinb asserts that the “Royal Legion” may face an early elimination. Specifically, during a livestream, the 2019 World Champion stated: “Their current state is very poor. Due to many behind-the-scenes reasons, the performance of some players is not good. The top half (TES, V5) is also stronger. I think the finals will still be TES – V5.”
Perhaps it doesn’t need to be said directly by Doinb; everyone understands that the player who is not performing well is likely Xiaohu. Just a few days ago, RNG’s Mid Laner got caught up in backstage trouble when a girl claiming to be his ex-girlfriend accused him of having the intention to “cheat” on his former teammate Letme. Additionally, the girl also accused Xiaohu of getting her pregnant when she was just 18 years old but later denying responsibility.
Both RNG and Xiaohu have not commented on the matter since then. However, it is certain that this rumor has impacted the core player of RNG. Of course, as a seasoned professional player, Xiaohu can still brush aside these troubles, but it is hard to guarantee that he will achieve 100% form in the upcoming match against JDG. And when Xiaohu has issues, RNG will undoubtedly face many difficulties ahead.