League rookie Work Auster Force came back from a losing start to eliminate Nexplay Esports, 3-1, and advance to the second round of the playoffs lower bracket in the MPL Philippines Season 7 on Wednesday night, May 26.
After narrowly losing in the series opener, Work clawed its way back and crushed NXP in the next three games to keep its run alive in Moonton's local professional league for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
Coach Laurenz "Lift" Ruiz's Work is set to take on the loser in the upper bracket match between Blacklist International and Bren Esports on Thursday night.
Setsuna "Dogie" Ignacio's NXP lost hold of the momentum from its comeback win in Game 1 behind the heroics of Dexter "Exort" Martinez's Lunox and John Paul "H2wo" Salonga's Ling, and eventually suffered suffered its second straight first round exit.
Last season, Nexplay got swept by eventual champion Bren Esports in the opening phase of the playoffs.
Work's star jungler Daniel "Chuuu" Chu showed his own mastery of Ling as he willed his team to 15-3 equalizer in 12 minutes in Game 2.
It was EXP laner Frediemar "3MarTzy" Serafico's turn to step up to the plate with his Benedetta going ham with huge pickoffs early in Game 3.
NXP's pocket Gusion pick for Renejay "RENEJAY" Barcarse didn't work out as Work seized the match point with an 18-14 triumph in 16 minutes.
Work then went for the killing blow in Game 4 with Clarense "Kousei" Camilo's Esmeralda leading the charge in the late game.
Kousei took down Exort's Chang'e to set the tempo for Work's five-man wipe out of NXP that sealed 19-14 victory in 16 minutes as well as the first series of the MPL playoffs.
