Team Yandex earns opening win at Fissure Universe: Episode 8

Team Yandex swept Power Rangers 2-0 on Thursday as play got underway in the Fissure Universe: Episode 8 event.

In the day's other matches, all in the upper-bracket quarterfinals, Team Liquid edged MOUZ 2-1 and Aurora Gaming rallied to down BetBoom Team 2-1.

The $250,000 Dota 2 event features eight teams playing in a double-elimination bracket. All matches are best-of-three until the best-of-five final on Sunday.

The championship team will earn $125,000, while the runner-up will get $60,000.

On Thursday, Team Yandex produced 31- and 41-minute wins over Power Rangers, both on red.

Russia's Evgeniy "Noticed" Ignatenko paced Team Yandex with a 24-4-22 kill-death-assist ratio. Kazakhstan's Nikita "Nicky'Cool" Ostakhov finished at 11-12-7 for Power Rangers.

Team Liquid opened with a 43-minute victory on red before MOUZ equalized with a 27-minute win on red. On the decisive third map, Team Liquid prevailed in 36 minutes on red.

Poland's Michal "Nisha" Jankowski compiled a 30-10-23 K-D-A ratio for Team Liquid. The Netherlands' Remco "Crystallis" Arets wound up at 19-9-17 for MOUZ.

After BetBoom Team claimed a 47-minute win on red, Aurora Gaming came back to post a 39-minute victory on red and a 31-minute triumph on green. Russia's Egor "Nightfall" Grigorenko logged a 31-9-23 K-D-A ratio for Aurora Gaming. Russia's Danil "gpk" Skutin produced a 19-13-26 K-D-A ratio for BetBoom Team.

The Friday schedule:

--Upper-bracket quarterfinal: Team Spirit vs. StrongBoys

--Upper-bracket semifinal: Team Liquid vs. Team Spirit-StrongBoys winner

--Upper-bracket semifinal: Team Yandex vs. Aurora Gaming

--Lower-bracket round 1: Power Rangers vs. BetBoom Team

--Lower-bracket round 1: MOUZ vs. Team Spirit-StrongBoys loser

Fissure Universe: Episode 8 prize pool

1. $125,000

2. $60,000

3. $30,000

4. $15,000

5-6. $10,000

7-8. No money

--Field Level Media