The whispers started early on Friday at Pro Tour–Kuala Lumpur…did you see who's 5-1? The rumblings continued through the middle three drafts…. he hasn't lost a match since round 3! The wave was at full force by the end of Saturday… he's in the Top 8! Finally on Sunday, the echoes woke up completely and Hall of Famer Jon Finkel reclaimed his rightful place atop the Magic world.
Jonny Magic steamrolled the field with overall record of 16-1-1, powering through the Top 8 in typical Finkel fashion. One of the fastest minds in the history of the Pro Tour, Finkel matched that mental acuity with a blitzkrieg pace that overwhelmed his opponents. First fell Guillaume Wafo-Tapa in the quarters, then Marcio Carvalho in the semifinals, and finally Mario Pascoli in the finals en route to Finkel's third Pro Tour title (and record 12th Top 8 appearance).
When the Top 8 was announced and it contained two Hall of Famers and two Pro Tour champions from 2007, everyone in Kuala Lumpur knew they were in for something special. But when Wafo-Tapa, Nicolai Herzog, and Mike Hron all fell in the quarterfinals, the script was looking to be flipped on the established powers. Ming Xu made a valiant run as the first mainland Chinese player to make a Top 8, but he fell to Pascoli in the semifinals. Carvalho came close to his breakout Pro Tour moment but couldn't withstand Finkel, who also ended Pascoli's hopes for becoming Italy's first Pro Tour champion. In the end the master was victorious again, with the win coming nine years and ten months after Finkel's first Pro Tour victory. It was also Finkel's first Top 8 since Pro Tour-Yokohama in May of 2003.
Congratulations to Jon Finkel, your Pro Tour–Kuala Lumpur 2008 champion!
Note: Quarterfinal matchups are determined at random.
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Quarterfinals |
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Semifinals |
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Finals |
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Champion |
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Nicolai Herzog
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Marcio Carvalho, 3-2
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| 8 |
Marcio Carvalho
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Jon Finkel, 3-1
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Jon Finkel
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Jon Finkel, 3-0
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Jon Finkel, 3-1
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| 5 |
Guilluame Wafo-Tapa
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| 2 |
Mario Pascoli
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Mario Pascoli, 3-0
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Mike Hron
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Mario Pascoli, 3-2
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Ming Xu
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Ming Xu, 3-1
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Joel Calafell
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Last Updated: Saturday, 9:24 p.m.
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Last Updated: Saturday, 10:56 p.m.
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Click on the image to navigate to the Kuala Lumpur Coverage Blog and Podcasts.
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EVENT COVERAGE
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INFORMATION
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Finals: The Magic is Back!
Mario Pascoli vs. Jon Finkel by Nate Price
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Semifinals: Playing Champions for a shot at the Championship
Mario Pascoli vs. Ming Xu by Nate Price
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Semifinals: The Best Limited Player Alive
Marcio Carvalho vs. Jon Finkel by Zac Hill
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Quarterfinals: The Battle for Black-Green
Marcio Carvalho vs. Nicolai Herzog by Devin Low
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Quarterfinals: When Life Doesn't Matter
Joel Calafell vs. Ming Xu by Noel Neo
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Quarterfinals: Thunder and Fire
Mike Hron vs. Mario Pascoli by Zac Hill
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Quarterfinals: Beats and Balloons
Guillaume Wafo-Tapa vs. Jon Finkel by Nate Price
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Draft Viewer: Top 8 Draft
by Event Coverage Staff
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Feature: Top 8 Decks
by Event Coverage Staff
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Top 8 Draft: Pack Lists
by Event Coverage Staff
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Feature: Top 8 Profiles
by Event Coverage Staff
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News: Players' Q&A with Wizards Policy-Makers
by Bill Stark and Scott Johns
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Round 15: Bubble Wrap Up
by Nate Price
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Round 14: Primal Plays
Fabien Demazeau vs. Mike Hron by Scott Johns
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Round 13: By Your Command
Nicolai Herzog vs. Martin Juza by Chapman Sim
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Round 12: Ash Whoopin'
Rogier Maaten vs. Raphael Levy by Nate Price
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Draft Viewer: Draft 5
by Event Coverage Staff
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Round 11: Champions of Evasion
Jon Finkel vs. Guilamme Wafo-Tapa by Chapman Sim
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Round 10: Down to the Wire
Jon Finkel vs. Paul Cheon by Bill Stark
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Feature: Draft #4: Nicolai Herzog
by Chapman Sim
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Feature: Draft #4: Guillaume Wafo-Tapa
by Nate Price
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Photo Gallery: Friday at the Pro Tour
by Craig Gibson and Kelly Digges
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Round 9: Picture Perfect
Melissa DeTora vs. Gabriel Nassif by Scott Johns
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Round 8: Like Looking in a Mirror
Jon Finkel vs. Nicolai Herzog by Nate Price
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Info: Day 2 Player List
by Event Coverage Staff
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Round 7: School's In
Guillaume Wafo-Tapa vs. Shuu Komuro by Nate Price
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Draft Viewer: Draft 3
by Event Coverage Staff
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Round 6: When Playing Costs a Card
Shuu Komuro vs. Shuhei Nakamura by Noel Neo
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Round 5: Better Homes and Gardens
Paul Cheon vs. Chris Trembley by Nate Price
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Round 4: True Giants of the Pro Tour
Jon Finkel vs. Andre Mueller by Scott Johns
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Round 3: Better Lucky than Good
Olivier Ruel vs. Andre Coimbra vs. Stuart Wright
by Noel Neo
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Draft Viewer: Draft 1
by Event Coverage Staff
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Round 2: "I Thought You Said Your Deck Was Loose!"
Paul Cheon vs. Chris Lachmann by Bill Stark
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Round 1: When Trees Fattack
Frank Karsten vs. Rogier Maaten by Scott Johns
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Column: Wish I Was There
by Brian David-Marshall
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Info: Day 1 Player List
by Event Coverage Staff
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Info: Day 1 Country Breakdown
by Event Coverage Staff
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Info: Fact Sheet
by Event Coverage Staff
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VIDEO: TOURNAMENT CENTER, DAY ONE
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Preview
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Early Casualties
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Drafting Kithkin
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Making the Cut
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Day One Wrap
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| 1. Jon Finkel |
$40,000 |
| 2. Mario Pascoli |
$20,000 |
| 3. Marcio Carvalho |
$15,000 |
| 4. Ming Xu |
$13,000 |
| 5. Guillaume Wafo-Tapa |
$11,000 |
| 6. Mike Hron |
$10,500 |
| 7. Joel Calafell |
$10,000 |
| 8. Nicolai Herzog |
$9,500 |
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FINALS HIGHLIGHTS
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Game 1
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Game 2
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Game 3
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Game 4
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TOURNAMENT CENTER: DAY TWO
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Pleased to Meet You
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Top of the Standings
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Drafting Excellence
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Play the Game, See the Monkeys
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Finkel's Finest?
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Day Two Wrap
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