TI11 Main Event Day 1 featured massive upsets, heartbreak, and a 107-minute game

The Main Event of The International 11 (TI11) finally kicked off on Thursday (20 October), and it's hard to think of any better way for the battle for the Aegis of Champions in front of a live crowd to begin.

The day saw three massive upsets, the defending champions fall, four teams get eliminated, and an epic 107-minute slugfest to cap it all off.

Starting off in the upper bracket, South American hopefuls Thunder Awaken opened the action by sweeping North American juggernauts Evil Geniuses (EG) in the first of the day's three unbelievable upsets.

Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) winner Team Secret then followed that up by knocking down Chinese favourites PSG.LGD to the lower bracket in the day's second huge upset.

The action then shifted to the lower bracket and the thrilling first round of best-of-one elimination matches, beginning with Beastcoast ousting Hokori in a battle between two South American squads.

The last massive upset of the day then saw Southeast Asian hopefuls BOOM Esports send defending champions Team Spirit home, ensuring a new team will raise the Aegis of Champions this year.

Gaimin Gladiators then eliminated Fnatic, leaving BOOM Esports as the only Southeast Asian representative in Singapore.

Finally, Entity outlasted Royal Never Give Up (RNG) in a crazy, 107-minute battle of attrition to end the day.

Here's what went down in all the matches in Day 1 of TI11's Main Event:

Upper bracket round 1

Thunder Awaken 2-0 Evil Geniuses

After their dominant performance during the Group Stage, many branded EG as one of the top contenders for the Aegis this year and that they'll cruise through their first upper bracket match against Thunder Awaken. The rising South American squad had other ideas, however.

Thunder Awaken went blow-for-blow against EG to take a surprising 47-minute victory in game one. The South American squad then sensed blood in the water in game two, as they routed their opponents in just under 30 minutes of action and became the first-ever team from their region to secure a Top 6 finish in the history fo TI.

For a more detailed breakdown of this match, check here.

Team Secret 2-0 PSG.LGD

Team Secret carried their momentum from dominating the LCQ into the Group Stage, where they secured the second seed of Group B and got matched with PSG.LGD in the first round of the upper bracket. With many saying this was the year the Chinese juggernauts will finally claim the ever-elusive Aegis, many expected Secret to get knocked down to the lower bracket.

However, Secret captain Clement "Puppey" Ivanov instead proclaimed this year is when he'll finally win his second TI championship.

The Western European powerhouse came out swinging and took game one in just 23 minutes. PSG.LGD put up a much better fight in game two, but Secret still outlasted them after 50 minutes of action to secure the massive 2-0 upset.

For a more detailed breakdown of this match, check here.

Lower bracket round 1

Beastcoast 1-0 Hokori

The first elimination match of the day was an all-South American affair between veterans Beastcoast and rising squad Hokori.

While Hokori performed much better during the Group Stage and almost qualified for the upper bracket, their lack of experience in playing at Dota 2's biggest stage showed. Beastcoast outclassed them in a 36-minute rout and sent the young squad packing.

BOOM Esports 1-0 Team Spirit

The third massive upset of the day saw BOOM Esports, who barely qualified for the Main Event after a rough showing in the Group Stage, end defending champs Team Spirit's hopes for a second Aegis.

In a methodical, 40-minute showdown, BOOM deftly dismantled their opponents to ensure that at least one Southeast Asian team can keep playing in front of their home crowd.

For a more detailed breakdown of this match, check here.

Gaimin Gladiators 1-0 Fnatic

But while BOOM could still wave the banner of Southeast Asia for another day, Fnatic's flag was taken down by Gaimin Gladiators. The Southeast Asian team were in control for much of the elimination match, but the Western European squad mounted a spirited comeback to take the victory after 50 minutes.

For a more detailed breakdown of this match, check here.

Entity 1-0 Royal Never Give Up

The best match of the opening day of TI11's Main Event was saved for last. After most of RNG's players previously tested positive for COVID-19, Yap "xNova" Jian Wei had to play on the stage alone with just teddy bears sitting where his teammates should be.

But despite having four players still sick with COVID-19 and playing from isolation, and the only healthy player all alone on the stage, RNG featured in an epic 107-minute slugfest with Entity.

Despite putting up a stubborn defence for almost two hours of gruelling action, RNG were eventually overcome by Entity.

Here's how the Main Event bracket for TI11 looks like with the conclusion of Day 1:

Day 2 of TI11's Main Event will feature other two matches for the first round of the upper bracket as well as the first two matches of the second round of the lower bracket.

The day will open with Tundra Esports taking on OG followed by a showdown between Team Liquid and Team Aster.

The lower bracket matches will then feature EG facing Beastcoast, while the day will close with PSG.LGD going up against BOOM Esports.

TI11 will be hosted in Singapore from 15 to 30 October and features a revamped format and a longer schedule.

The tournament will begin with a Group Stage from 15 to 18 October, where 20 teams will fight to become among the 16 squads to advance to the Main Event.

TI11's Main Event will be a double-elimination bracket and is split into two phases, the first being held from 20 to 23 October while the second will take place from 29 to 30 October.

For everything you need to know about TI11, check here.

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