TOP 8 COVERAGE
Congratulations to Yuuki Ichikawa, champion of Grand Prix Shanghai 2015.
Yuuki Ichikawa made his way through the field of 900 players defeating Yang Dehua in the quarterfinals, Nam Sung Wook in the semifinals, and Devsharan Singh in the finals.
Heading into the Grand Prix, players were looking to take down winning deck of last weekend: Abzan Aggro. Yuuki Ichikawa did this by playing Abzan Control--giving him access to cards like Elspeth, Sun's Champion and Crux of Fate. Three members of the top 8 played Abzan decks: Yuuki Ichikawa, previous Grand Prix Shanghai champion, Li Bo, and South Korean pro, Nam Sung Wook. Li Bo followed in the footsteps of Ichikawa and played Abzan Control while Nam Sung Wook stuck to his guns and played Abzan Aggro.
In preparation for the Abzan menace, the rest of the top eight were split between Red Green Decks. Three players, Xie Hao Chen, Hu Jin, and Lin Yang played Green Red Devotion. These players played large spells such as Ugin, the Spirit Dragon and Dragonlord Atarka to put pressure on their opponents. The last two players, Yang Dehua and Devsharan Singh, played Red Green Dragons. Capable of dealing 20 damage by the fifth turn, these players pounced on Abzan players throughout the weekend and rose to the top of the standings.
In the end, Yuuki Ichikawa and his Abzan Control deck were able to defeat Devsharan Singh and his Red Green Dragons deck in the finals. Congratulations once again to Yuuki Ichikawa, champion of Grand Prix Shanghai 2015!
DAY 2 COVERAGE
With the field of 900 boiled down to just 118, Day 2 of Grand Prix Shanghai is underway!
Hall of Famer and World Champion Makihito Mihara leads the pack, along with Lin Yang and Kazuaki Fujimura. The trio managed to survive the entire day without a scratch, winning all nine of their matches today.
Hot on their heels are World Team Champion Li Bo, the ever-mighty No 6. Yuuya Watanabe, three-time Pro Tour Top 8 competitor Terry Soh, Platinum Pro Nam Sung Wook and three-time Grand Prix Top 8 competitor Sun Bo, all at 24 match points.
No 4. Lee Shi Tian, No. 17 Shota Yasooka, Yuuki Ichikawa, Ken Yukuhiro, Park Jun Young, Teruya Kakumae and Tzu Ching Kuo are all at 7-2 and would need to make a deep run if they wanted to break into the Top 8 today!
Stay tuned as Chapman Sim and Ben Swartz bring you more action from the mainland!
DAY 1 COVERAGE
After 9 rounds of intense competition, the field of 900 has been boiled down to just 118! Hall of Famer and World Champion Makihito Mihara leads the pack, along with Lin Yang and Kazuaki Fujimura. The trio managed to survive the entire day without a scratch, winning all nine of their matches today.
Hot on their heels are World Team Champion Li Bo, the ever-mighty No 6. Yuuya Watanabe, three-time Pro Tour Top 8 competitor Terry Soh, Platinum Pro Nam Sung Wook and three-time Grand Prix Top 8 competitor Sun Bo, all at 24 match points.
Teruya Kakumae's dreams of picking up some additional Pro Points are alive, but barely. He is at 7-2, along with No 4. Lee Shi Tian, No. 17 Shota Yasooka, Yuuki Ichikawa, Ken Yukuhiro, Park Jun Young, and Tzu Ching Kuo. These players would need to make a deep run if they wanted to break into the Top 8 tomorrow!
While the curtains are being drawn here in Shanghai, the action is just getting started at Grand Prix Florence where over 400 teams are converged for a weekend of Team Limited. And when that is said and done, you can also tune in to the 2014 Magic Online Championship coverage if your appetite for Magic has yet to be sated!
Chapman and Ben signing off for now!
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER
The hashtag for Grand Prix Shanghai is #gpshanghai. Join the conversation!
TWITTER: #gpshanghai