T1 vs TES: What are the chances for the Chinese representative?

Faker still maintains high performance in his 10th World Championship appearance. Photo: Lol Esports .

The second semifinal of the 2025 World Championship promises to be an exciting matchup. Top Esports (TES), the third seed of the LPL, the last team left in the region, will face the giant T1, the two-time defending champions who just endured a tough quarterfinal against Anyone's Legend (AL).

Stats and fans alike see the LCK’s fourth seed as the clear favorites. But Top Esports isn’t out of the running. The pressure is on both teams as T1 looks to make it to a fourth straight finals appearance for T1 or their first appearance on the biggest stage for TES.

"David vs. Giant"

T1’s legacy at Worlds is unmatched. This is their 10th appearance and they have never finished lower than the top 4. As two-time champions and three-time finalists, their class is hard to argue with. Their record against LPL teams in best-of-5s at Worlds stands at 12 wins and 0 losses.

On the contrary, this is only the 4th time TES has participated in CKTG, 2 times reaching the semi-finals. The international performance of the Chinese representative against LCK teams in BO5 series is quite bad with no wins.

T1 was not overwhelming, but stronger in decisive moments. Photo: Lol Esports.

TES and T1 have met twice in 2024. T1 won 3-1 in the EWC finals, then swept TES 3-0 in the Worlds quarterfinals. Their other meeting was a 1-0 win for TES in the Swiss Round not too long ago. But that was a single game, not a series. The weight of history is completely on T1's side.

Top Esports’ road to the semi-finals was impressive. They eliminated Bilibili Gaming in the Swiss Stage and previously defeated G2 Esports in the quarterfinals. Earlier this year, they defeated Anyone’s Legend in the LPL Summer Losers Finals, showing their dominance domestically. Meanwhile, T1 were less than convincing in the Swiss Stage. Faker and co. lost to CTBC Flying Oyster and Gen.G. But their five-game victory over AL in the quarterfinals clearly reignited the momentum and belief of the fans.

Last chance for China

This semifinal is also a battle of experience. T1's roster is very deep, with every player except Doran having made at least four semifinals in the past few years. Legendary mid laner Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok is making his 10th Worlds semifinal appearance, an unprecedented feat in eSports history. Mun "Oner" Hyeon-jun, Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong, and Ryu "Keria" Min-seok have all made it to four semifinals, while Choi "Doran" Hyeon-joon is making his second.

On the other side, Top Esports is relatively inexperienced. Lin "Creme" Jian and Fu "Hang" Ming-Hang are playing their first semifinal match at Worlds.

The winner of semi-final 2 will face KT Rolster in Chengdu. Photo: Lol Esports.

Faker faces Creme in a duel. The T1 veteran, playing in his 10th Worlds semifinal, meets the young TES mid laner, making his first deep run on the international stage. In support, Keria’s trademark aggressive and creative playstyle will face a new challenge in Hang, whose cautious approach has been central to Top Esports’ cohesion at this tournament.

The bot lane features two of the most accomplished marksmen of recent years. Gumayusi and JackeyLove are both experienced, known for their unpredictable playstyles and willingness to step up and carry their teams in dire times. Oner and Kanavi have been known as reliable junglers for their teams throughout the year. But the T1 representative’s big-game experience could tip the scales at a crucial moment.

The fourth seed from South Korea is the favorite. But TES has shown that it can compete with the best. The winner will face KT Rolster in the grand final in Chengdu.

Source: https://znews.vn/t1-doi-dau-tes-co-hoi-nao-cho-dai-dien-trung-quoc-post1599244.html