w0nderful on facing m0NESY: "I never think about it because I play against a team, not one player"

w0nderful expects a 50-50 game against G2 and describes them as a great team.

After surprising everyone with a victory at PGL Major Copenhagen, Natus Vincere were hit with the post-Major blues and suffered early exits at ESL Pro League S19 and IEM Dallas.

They returned to form at the BLAST Premier Spring Final 2024 and reached the final, but the jury was still out on the actual level of the team led by Aleksi "⁠Aleksib⁠" Virolainen.

Upon returning from the player break Natus Vincere made their second consecutive grand final at the Esports World Cup, quashing critics as they set to face off against the new G2 for the trophy.

Ahead of the final clash, Ihor "⁠w0nderful⁠" Zhdanov sat down with HLTV to discuss their earlier win against MOUZ, Natus Vincere's form, and the upcoming final.

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You beat MOUZ and made it to the Esports World Cup grand final, but the first map didn't go well and you lost 1-13. How did it happen?

I don't know, we prepared for that map and played it often in practice. We didn't wake up and do what we were supposed to, so we lost. There were some key moments that we should have won, but we didn't, so that's how the map ended.

Then you managed to win Nuke, MOUZ's pick. You had a strong T-side despite a tied first half. Can you tell me how you collected yourselves and pushed it to map three?

We've played Nuke a lot this tournament, and we knew what they were going to do. We didn't have any second thoughts, we were just playing. We forgot the first map, played our game, and came back. I think they loosened up a bit after the first map, so we just did our things on the T-side, and that's it.

Map three went pretty heavily in your favor. Did you expect a tighter fight before the map started?

I never expect it to be easy or tough, I just want to play the game. So… we just played. I certainly was focused on playing, not thinking about anything, and then when we had a big lead, I realized we could win this easily.

You were clearly the crowd favorites tonight. What are your impressions of the support here and the event in general?

It's nice when people support you and the crowd screams for you, especially when you start winning rounds. It's always nice to feel support, it's great.

Before the break, B1ad3 said there would be changes if you continued to play as you played at the end of last season. Do you feel confident in the roster now?

I think so, we made two finals in a row. In the first, we lost to Spirit, in the second one we will play against G2, and we will see what happens. I think we are in good shape. We had a dip [in form] for two tournaments after the Major, but we restored our clear thoughts and are now capable of showing a great game.

You will play against G2 tomorrow. What are your thoughts on their new roster?

Their new roster is definitely better than the last one. They play very well, and it's their first tournament, so that might be a honeymoon. I don't know how they will do in the future, but it's a great roster and a tough opponent.

What are your expectations from tomorrow's game? Do you feel you're the favorites to an extent, or is it a tossup?

I don't think about it or feel anything, it will be a 50-50 game. The better-prepared and stronger team will win.

Regarding the upcoming sniper duel, what do you think of playing against m0NESY? In your view, are you facing the best player in the world?

Yes, he is showing a good game, I would even say great. He is 100% the number one player in the world right now. We've faced them many times, but I've never thought about the sniper duel. I never think about it because I play against a team, not one player. Let's see what will happen tomorrow.

TaZ told me that he would love to take revenge for the Major. Are you ready to show the winning form from the Major?

Of course we are!