PGL Wallachia playoffs begin with three sweeps

Team Liquid beat Tundra Esports 2-1 on Thursday to advance to the upper-bracket semifinals at the PGL Wallachia Season 4 event in Bucharest, Romania.

Liquid opened the double-elimination playoffs by sandwiching a 37-minute win on red and a 42-minute victory on green around Tundra's 58-minute win on red.

Liquid moved on to face Team Spirit, who swept NAVI Junior with a 39-minute win on red and a 31-minute victory on green.

PARIVISION and Aurora Gaming both swept their way into the other semifinal. PARIVISION had 41- and 26-minute wins on green against Team Tidebound, while Aurora capped the day with a 58-minute win on red and a 32-minute victory on green against BetBoom Team.

Sixteen teams started the $1 million Dota 2 tournament, with the top eight qualifying for the playoffs. All remaining matches are best-of-three until Sunday's best-of-five grand final, where the winners will take home $300,000.

Friday's playoff schedule:

--Tundra Esports vs. NAVI Junior (lower bracket Round 1)

--Team Tidebound vs. BetBoom Team (lower bracket Round 1)

--Team Liquid vs. Team Spirit (upper-bracket semifinal)

--PARIVISION vs. Aurora Gaming (upper-bracket semifinal)

Dota PGL Wallachia Season 4 prize pool

1. $300,000

2. $175,000

3. $120,000

4. $80,000

5-6. $60,000

7-8. $40,000

9-11. $20,000 -- Team Falcons, Xtreme Gaming, HEROIC

12-14. $15,000 -- Shopify Rebellion, Edge, Nigma Galaxy

15-16. $10,000 -- AVULUS, Talon Esports