The second matchup of the day featured ROX Tigers and Kongdoo Monsters, which ROX Tigers won 2-1 after a round of close fights. Sangmyeon "Shy" Park stood there with his Maokai, firm like a huge tree providing mental support to his fellow teammates. Below is the post-match interview with Shy.

How does it feel to win?

I feel great because it felt like we really had to win this one no matter what. I thought things would turn out harsh for us if we didn't win today. It was a tough fight, but victory was on our side. I feel relieved.

You were finally in the starting lineup today.

I knew I had to play at some point. I did feel pressure, but didn't want to neglect my responsibility. I thought it would be better to just start playing sooner than later. It would be beneficial for me in the long run, and also for the team because my addition to the team would pay off.

What did you and your teammates say to each other after the team's loss in set 1?

Our picks made it a hard match for all of us. Normally, when there are lanes with champion matchups in favor of the enemy team, there should also be ones that are favorable to us. There were no such lanes in set 1, so we said among ourselves that we could win the next match if we came up with picks that would do well in teamfights.

I heard some players saying that you cheered everyone up before set 2 had begun.

I suppose that's true, but with a bit of exaggeration. [laughs]

It's been a while since you won.

I don't even remember when was the last time I won. It took a long time for me to taste victory ever since being relegated. Personally, I really wanted to win against Kongdoo Monster because the team made me suffer in Promotion series. It felt great to actually win.

What would the year 2017 mean to you?

I didn't have as much chance to play last year in CJ Entus. My options were limited, so there was nothing much that I could do in the team. I am trying to do as much as I can after coming to ROX. I am trying hard to make every dollar spent on me worth it.

What was it like to play against Singed?

I didn't have as many chances to play against him during scrims. I had no idea it would turn out like this in Maokai vs. Singed matchup. Singed would keep pushing the lane and put pressure on other lanes at the same time whenever it was a 1v1 situation without a jungler. I realized why Singed is a popular counter pick against Maokai.

What do you think about AD Kennen in the previous match?

I value balance within the team. I could see that, in SSG and AFs' set 2, Kennen lost his strength right away after being ganked. That's when the teamwork began to collapse thus making it harder to win in teamfights. I think AD Kennen can be a feasible decision depending on team balance and picks. However, I am not sure if going AD with Kennen to win in lane fights is a good idea.

What is your new year's resolution?

I want to advance to playoffs with my new ROX Tigers teammates, and want to climb even higher if things work out well.