Aurora star İsmailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş delivered a stellar performance to help his team defeat The MongolZ 2-0 at the BLAST Open Rotterdam Quarter-Finals. However, behind the celebratory victory lies a grueling physical toll. The Turkish player revealed the alarming extent of his ongoing hand issues, making Aurora’s upcoming Semi-Final clash against Vitality an even more daunting challenge.
Battling through the pain
When asked about the current state of his right hand after the match, XANTARES was completely candid about his struggles.
It’s terrible actually, like I cannot play deathmatch,” he admitted. “I play for 100 kills and I have to pause all the time. I’m having a lot of issues with my right hand right now.
The demanding esports calendar has left the veteran rifler with virtually no room for his usual routines or recovery.
I hope that when we stop playing tournaments and go back to our country, I will get it fixed instantly,” XANTARES explained. “But unfortunately, we don’t have the time. We’ve been working for a month and haven’t gone home. So yeah, when we get back, I will fix it.
When questioned if he plans to address the injury right after the Major, XANTARES remained uncertain about the timeline.
I don’t want to say anything about it,” he said. “We will see.
Breaking the curse
Despite the physical strain, XANTARES and Aurora managed to break a devastating curse against their Quarter-Final opponents. Coming into Rotterdam, Aurora had lost to the Mongolian squad five consecutive times across various international events.
To secure the long-awaited win, Aurora completely shifted their veto strategy. XANTARES noted that they surprised The MongolZ by picking Inferno, a map they had previously avoided. The strategic gamble paid off perfectly, resulting in what he described as an easy win on the map and a massive confidence boost for the roster.
Now, Aurora must prepare to face Vitality in the Semi-Finals. Fans will be watching closely to see if XANTARES can continue to push past his physical limitations and lead his team to the grand finals.
You can see our interview with XANTARES in the video below.
