South American esports organization 9z punched their ticket to the semifinals of the XSE Pro League Guangzhou 2026 on July 9, taking down China’s TYLOO in a 2-1 best-of-three quarterfinal series. The match was part of a Valve Tier 1 tournament carrying a total prize pool of $1 million, making it one of the more significant competitive Counter-Strike events of the year.
How the match played out
9z, ranked roughly 11th-12th globally, entered the series as slight favorites against a TYLOO squad sitting around 22nd in world rankings. The South Americans justified that positioning with a convincing 13-9 victory on Nuke to open the series.
TYLOO fought back on Mirage, forcing a tie that went to extra rounds. But 9z closed things out on Inferno to secure the 2-1 series win and a spot in the final four.
The tournament itself is organized by Xinsai Esports, known as XSE, a Chinese firm. The event runs from July 1 through July 12, with playoff matches taking place at notable Guangzhou venues including Friendship Hall and South China Agricultural University Gymnasium.
