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Michelle Lojo - Philstar.com
May 6, 2025 | 9:41am
Filipino Valorant Player Patrick "PatMen" Mendoza (far left) with this team Paper Rex won both their matches over the weekend.
VCT Pacific
MANILA, Philippines — Southeast Asian Valorant team Paper Rex, fielding player Patrick "PatMen" Mendoza, is one win away from qualifying to Valorant Masters Toronto as it took down reigning champions T1 of South Korea and Valorant Ascension powerhouse BOOM Esports of Indonesia during their lower bracket matchups South Korea over the weekend.
Having finished the group stages as fourth seed of Group Alpha, Paper Rex will begin its playoffs campaign in the lower bracket against T1, which was defeated by DRX on April 26.
In the do-or-die matchup, Paper Rex bucked a slow start, suffering a 3-13 defeat in their map pick of Pearl. But the team managed to turn things around with a 13-4 victory in T1's pick of Ascent to force a decider.
In Lotus, Paper Rex opened the map with six consecutive rounds, forcing T1 to make costly mistakes that would eventually lead to Paper Rex winning, 13-2, and eliminating the Valorant Masters Bangkok champions.
But the job was not done as the following day Paper Rex faced BOOM Esports in the lower bracket quarterfinals.
The two teams previously met during the group stages, with the Indonesian organization surviving Paper Rex, 2-1.
It was a different story this time around as Paper Rex secured a 2-0 sweep, an unstoppable display on Lotus with 13-5 and championship form on Fracture. The former thus avenged its group stage defeat and ensured its continued survival in the playoffs with a 13-8 victory.
Paper Rex will face South Korean team and fierce rival DRX in the lower bracket semifinals on May 9, at 6 p.m., for the final Valorant Masters Toronto slot.
