Vitality Crush 9z in Dominant BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 Opener

Team Vitality opened their campaign at BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 in dominant fashion, securing a convincing 2–0 victory over South American squad 9z in the Group B upper bracket quarter-final. The European side, currently ranked among the top teams in the world, showed little rust despite this being their first official match in nearly a month. 

The series was one-sided from start to finish, with Vitality taking Overpass 13–3 and closing the match on Nuke with a 13–5 scoreline.Their win advances them to the upper bracket semi-finals, while 9z drop down to the lower bracket to fight for survival in the tournament. 

From the very beginning of the series, Vitality imposed their pace and structure. On Overpass, 9z’s map pick, the European squad quickly took control after recovering from an early pistol loss thanks to an impressive triple kill from Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut. That moment set the tone for the rest of the map, as Vitality stormed to a commanding 10–2 lead by halftime. 

Individual performances played a key role in the blowout. ZywOo delivered a standout showing, finishing the series with 37 kills and an outstanding 1.91 rating, once again proving why he is considered one of the best players in the world. Shahar “flameZ” Shushan also had a major impact, topping the server with 38 kills and consistently breaking through defensive setups with aggressive multi-kill rounds. 

Robin “ropz” Kool complemented the stars with smart positioning and timely aggression, while Dan “apEX” Madesclaire contributed key momentum-shifting rounds, including impactful multi-kill entries. William “mezii” Merriman added crucial clutch moments, notably a 1v3 that denied 9z an early opportunity to stabilize. 

On Nuke, Vitality continued their dominance without giving 9z any realistic chance to recover. Even when ZywOo was less central early in the map, the rest of the lineup stepped up, with flameZ leading the charge and closing the map with a strong 24–10 K-D performance.The team built an 8–4 lead on the CT side and maintained full control after the switch, sealing the series comfortably.

For 9z, the match exposed clear struggles against top-tier opposition. None of their players managed to reach a rating above 0.80 for the series, highlighting the gap in both firepower and consistency.Despite some isolated moments from players like dgt and HUASOPEEK, the team was unable to string rounds together or contest Vitality’s structured approach.

This result reinforces Vitality’s status as one of the favorites in Rotterdam. The roster — featuring apEX, ZywOo, flameZ, ropz, and mezii — combines elite individual skill with well-drilled team play, and their performance against 9z suggests they have maintained their level despite the recent break. 

Overall, Vitality’s opening match was as clean as it gets: a confident return to competition, dominant scorelines on both maps, and multiple players performing at a high level. If they continue in this form, they will be a serious contender for the BLAST Open Rotterdam title.