Aus Open 2009 'Battle of the Boards' pick 'em

Silver · County player

RE: Aus Open 2009 'Battle of the Boards' pick 'em

eblunt · Club Coach

steven wrote:

I know, I was talking about this board wasn't I?

Of sorry, misunderstood you. It's probably the stress of slipping from 30th place down to 190th or so, then finding my hopes rest on 2 GEMs winning (admittedly 1 of them only against another GEM) tomorrow has sent me over the edge.

wolf · Tennis legend

I'm 4/4 in R4 and have the picks to do the same tonight. Pity I am 294th really.

steven · Tennis legend

eblunt wrote:
Of sorry, misunderstood you. It's probably the stress of slipping from 30th place down to 190th or so, then finding my hopes rest on 2 GEMs winning (admittedly 1 of them only against another GEM) tomorrow has sent me over the edge.

You could be forgiven just about anything for that. smile

Of course, in the GEM v GEM match, the GEM we picked will be trying to lose and the the GEM we didn't pick will be trying to win, so what hope have we got? bleh

steven · Tennis legend

They seem to be having bundles of fun in the GaEl Monfils v GillEs SiMon match - not sure quite what was going on, but they were both at the net having a laugh and the umpire was joining in too. Lots of breaks as well, unfortunately Monfils ended up losing the 1st set 7-5. cry

If Boggo is the poor man's Gasquet, Gilles Simon must be the rich man's Jamie Baker, don't you think?

steven · Tennis legend

'SYNDICATED' DAY 8 REPORT

For a moment, it looked like one of the AO sponsors might be secretly trying to warn us that Tsonga (not usually the most malingering of the garlic-eaters) was about to choke away a 2-set lead against Flake in classic French style (see screen cap above), but in the end only Verdasco's 5-set win against Muzza prevented this being the first slam in the Open era to have all of the top 8 seeds in the QFs.

With 97% having picked Muzza to win today's match and 90% having him in the semis, it's going to be a couple of rounds before his loss causes significant movement for anyone other than the 2% who picked Verdasco to win today and the few who turn out to have picked the correct winner for that QF, so it was the wins for Tsonga (54%) and Simon (39%) that caused most of the moves today.

TEAM KO

The finalists in the team KO competition are no. 4 seeds Rusedski.co.uk and no. 10 seeds Tennis.com, who both won by more than a point against Tennisopolis and the Feddies respectively.

For scores from the semis and the 5th-16th place matches and the full results service for all the other parts of this competition, please see http://www.britishtennis.net/competitions.html

TEAMS LEAGUE

Rusedski.co.uk also ended up winning R4 and retained their lead in the teams league, with none of the top 6 places changing today. The big gainers were Tennisopolis.com, shooting up 4 from last place to 11th despite losing their KO SF, leaving the Dammitaires, who tended to favour Monfils over Simon, in the bottom spot.

TOP 10

With 3/4 today and an equal best 7/8 for R4 as a whole, R3 winner Hev (IN) is beginning to look even more unstoppable. Not only does she (I've got the gender right today!) now have a 9-point lead, she was even one of the 10% who picked Muzza to go out before the SFs, though she did pick him to win today.

Behind her, only 5 points (i.e. one QF win) separates the next 18 entrants, with Reb (IN), up 3 to 2nd, heading the chasing pack and emf123 (IN) completing a very 'Independent' top 3. Imoen (BT), up 8 to 4th, Darius (TN), up 8 to 5th, and Dassa (TW), up 9 to 6th, and Jon Pennington Pics (TN), up 16 to 10th, all move up into the top 10, but TennisAnyone74 (TA), BORRO2 (RF) & EdLavis (AM) all drop out of the top 5 (down 5 to 7th-9th) after only getting 2/4 correct today.

ON THE RISE

Two entrants actually managed to pick all four winners correctly today - one started the day in the middle of the table and the other, amazingly, was right down near the bottom! They were Alli (CC), up 114 to 77th, and Nickk (TN), up 107 to 307th. A mention too for defending champion ASE (AM), up 50 to 92nd, who finally made it into the top 100 in this year's competition, though that probably won't be any consolation for the loss that denied him a perfect score in R4.

Sean (LH) was the closest to getting 8/8 in R4, only missing out when Flake lost the final match, and in the end around 40 entrants managed to get 7/8 for R4 as a whole.

DODGY DROPPERS

15 entrants were unfortunate enough to score 0/4 today, with nelslus (TA), down 140 to 253rd, n3gative (MT), down 148 to 308th, Puredrive001 (AR), down 119 to 344=, and Lugburz (TY), down 121 to 353rd, all suffering three-digit falls.

Only one entrant managed to draw a blank for R4 as a whole though, the wins for Simon, Verdasco & Flake consigning jaydu (AM) to fall one more place to 456th, though with the consolation that the glory of winning the 'lanterne rouge' is now assured, despite serial gorilla-botherer Sallydaisy (JM)'s continuing dive down the table (down 15 more to 444 places today) as she tries to get some mercy banana rations to the gorillas before they starve. Awww ...

OUTLOOK

Just 17 entrants, including the current top two, have all their semi-fnalists still alive, though 19 of the top 20 have at least three, while only one entrant (see above) plus Skippy the Aussie bot are unable to score any more points.

TUESDAY'S QFs

RLA M3: (3) Nole 51% v (7) Duckboy 21% - the bookies make this match about 70:30
RLA M5: (2) Fed 90% v (8) Potty 7% - the bookies make this match about 80:20

By the way, Rafa has now been installed as the favourite to win the title ahead of Federer.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

I caught the start of the GEM face off, and despite the fact that he is a gem i really like the way monfils plays. i set my recorder to tape it (as i was going to sleep) but for some reason it stopped after 1 min. Will defiantly have to check out some of his matches in future, shame he is so injury prone (and a GEM of course) .

eblunt · Club Coach

Fair play to Simon against rafa, he was actually trying, and didn't just give up like Potty boy did.

If I was getting paid the sort of money Del Potro does, I'd at least be bothered to pretend I was trying.

steven · Tennis legend

'SYNDICATED' QFs REPORT

An eventful set of QFs left the top two seeds in the semis together with two players who seem to have turned a corner over the last couple of months, Duckboy and 'dasco.

TEAMS

It's the first time Tennis.com have fielded a full team and they are making quite a debut! Winning the QFs (their third single round win in the five rounds played so far) took them back up 1 to 1st ahead of Rusedski.co.uk, down 1 to 2nd, and they hold a big lead over the grinners in the team KO Final too.

The Ducklings spent a rare night on top after Duckboy's win. Their lead didn't survive day 2 of the QFs but they still managed to end the round up 1 in 3rd and they could yet win the whole thing if their hero can make Fed quack tonight.

There is then a gap back to Team CC, down 1 to 4th, who are still in with a chance of their first top three finish since Wimby - and they'll need to step up if they want to remain world no. 1s for much longer. The Hewitts, moving up 2 places over the QFs, complete the top 5, while Tennisopolis, up 2 to 9th, may yet manage their first top half finish in six attempts and are leading the KO 3rd place match too!

TOP 10

2/4 correct in the QFs was enough to keep Hev (IN) on top with a big 9-point lead over Reb (IN), who started and ended the QFs in 2nd. The only entrant to join the top 10 was the only one of the current top 18 to score 3/4, Okuda (TM) moving up 16 to 3rd, with those previously in 3rd to 9th all dropping a place but hanging on in the top 10.

ON THE RISE

Sean (LH) was the only entrant to get all four semi-finalists correct, so very well done to him! He has scored 48/52 points over the last two rounds but was so low down before the shocks started that despite a 93 place rise over the QFs, he is still just outside the top 20. He is the 3rd highest placed entrant of those with both finalists left though, so he could still get very close to the top if things go his way.

Some of those lower down the table who got 3/4 in the QFs had slightly bigger rises - Ian Carlisle (BT), up 96 to 159, DR4Life (AM), up 96 to 171st, xband (TN), up 95 to 182nd, and Spangli (IN), up 94 to 278th were among about a dozen entrants who rose 90 places or more over the last two days.

DODGY DROPPERS

Getting just 1/4 semi-finalists correct meant a hefty fall, but 10 entrants were unfortunate enough to draw a complete blank in the QFs. Those suffering three-digit falls as a result were the ones who were not already near the bottom - KatieK (JM), down 141 to 215th, Breezy (IN), down 144 to 345th, and Orn (AM), down 135 to 363rd.

They and over 60 other entrants who have no finalists left will need Ana's ex to meet and beat Duckboy in the Final to limit the damage between now and the end of the tournament.

OUTLOOK

Over 60 entrants still have both finalists alive (most of them Rafa & Fed), with the vast majority (over 300 of us) having just one, for the most part Fed.

The current leader will win the pick 'em for sure if Fed takes the title, however the door is still open for the entrant currently in 2nd place if the big two reach the Final and Rafa wins.

There is still room for plenty of movement from 2nd place downwards, with 19 points still at stake and just 6 points (1 SF win) covering 2nd-26th places. Those who picked Muzza to win could do with Verdasco winning the Final (since nobody has picked him to even reach it), while a Duckboy beats 'dasco Final would result in 6 entrants with Duckboy as their winner pick finishing in the top 7 and the current leader winning by just one point!

TEAM KO FINALS UPDATE (after 4 of 7 matches)

FINAL: (10) Tennis.com lead (4) Rusedski.co.uk 11.67-9.25
3-4: (16) Tennisopolis.com lead (14) RogerFederer.com 9.91-9.26
5-6: (2) TalkAboutTennis lead (5) JamieMurray.org 9.42-9.06
7-8: (9) BBC 606 boards lead (6) Tennis4you.com 8.5-8.44
9-10: (13) LleytonHewitt.biz lead (7) Rest of the World 11-9.42
11-12: (8) BritishTennis.net lead (11) Centre Court Forum 9.88-9.17
13-14: (12) AndyRoddick.com lead (3) AndyMurray.com 11.46-8.83
15-16: (1) MensTennisForums lead (15) RichardGasquet.net 8.75-8

NEXT REPORT

As for the QFs, there will only be a report for the SFs when they have both been played, i.e. sometime on Friday.

Thu: Fed 72% v Duckboy 6%
Fri: Rafa 20% v Verdasco 0%

S&V · Club Coach

Excuse my ignorance but why is he called duckboy? A-dick (on another board) summed him up quite well too.

steven · Tennis legend

Nobody really knows - it might have something to do with the way he waddles across the court, sticks his ass out when he serves and the facial expressions he makes or it might be a nickname from when he was younger.

Either way, it's more or less official - if you go to this link, you'll see one of the Andy Rod-ducks they used to sell on his official site: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/138/381258260_26de286c89.jpg

eblunt · Club Coach

fed through for me smile

Just need Rafa to go through in a tough 5 setter and get blisters, and I could be on track for a top 80 place ...

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

I'm going to be cheering my heart out for Rafa come Sunday morning, if I don't not only will I lose my top20 place, but also (and here's the truly horrifying bit) Steven will overtake me and I'll fail once again to beat him at pickem.

-- Edited by imoen at 21:36, 2009-01-30

steven · Tennis legend

'SYNDICATED' SFs REPORT

For the first time in a while at the AO, there is no surprise finalist, but didn't Verdasco come close! Doesn't seem to matter what you throw at Rafa though (even nearly 100 winners), he never even contenplates throwing in the towel until after the final point, which is probably why he so rarely has to even then. Fed must have been hoping the 5th set would go on even longer, though even Rafa has a perfectly good gap to the Final - nothing like the USO fiasco.

TEAMS

In their first BOTB as a full team, Tennis.com, still in 1st in the league, are now certain to win the KO Final against Rusedski.co.uk, still in 2nd. However, the Feddies (up 2 to 8th over the SFs) will complete a late charge up the table to win the league if their hero wins the title.

The Hewitts, up 1 to 4th, were actually the highest scoring team in the semis. World no. 1s Team CC, up 1 to 3rd, are holding them off for a top three spot, but need Fed to win in order to stay there and it will be Tennisopolis, up 4 to 5th over the SFs, who will dislodge them from the top three if Rafa wins.

BT.net, up 3 to 10th, also did well in the semis, while the three biggest fallers over the last two days were the Ducklings, down 4 to 7th, JM.org, down 3 to 11th, and AM.com, down 3 to 14th, who all had a far higher proportion of entrants picking one of the Andys to reach the Final than the other boards.

OTHER GROUPS

Very unusually, the Actives are already sure to beat the Fans this time, having lost R1 but won every round since, while Females are sure to beat Males, though if Fed wins the title there will be very little in it and the latter will have won more rounds.

In the new three-way age group split (done at the request of the over 50s btw), the Over 50s will stay ahead of the 18-49s if Rafa wins and drop behind them if Fed wins, but both of the adult groups are going to be trounced by the kids this time.

TOP 10

Hev (IN), who has Fed to win, has managed to stay in 1st place for about a week now and is sure of at least a top three finish, but by getting both finalists correct, Reb (IN) has closed the gap to 3 points (the lowest it has been for days) and will finish 1st if Rafa wins the title.

emf123, up 1 to 3rd, completes the top 3 for now, with Sean (LH), up another 17 to 4th, continuing to rocket up the table - he has made up for a mediocre first couple of rounds by getting an amazing 13/14 QFist, SFist and Finalist picks correct!

Also soaring into the top 10 on the back of both finalists are Anthony Constantino (TN), up 21 to 6th, world no. 6 miffy (AM), up 26 to 7th (and the only top 10 ranked entrant in the AO top 30), Alli (CC), up 26 to 8th, and Mel (AR), up 27 to 9th, while Roberta the rankings bot is now in the top 10, leaving Billy the Bookie bot some way behind.

Falling a bit but hanging onto a top 10 place (though only until the Final, having both picked Muzza to win) are Okuda (TM), down 2 to 5th, and Imoen (BT), down 5 to 10th.

ON THE RISE

If you got 2/2 over the last two days you moved up, 0/2 and you moved down unless you were already in the bottom two and with 1/2 whether you moved slightly up or down depended on exactly where you were in the table.

Nobody quite managed a three-digit rise, but those who came closest were royouman (IN), up 97 to 235th, Tenez (CC) & elisat (TA), up 96 to 221=, and Oploskoffie (TA), up 96 to 243rd.

DODGY DROPPERS

Only two of those with no finalists correct dropped more than 90 places - they were Sarah (AR), down 93 to 246th, and charliecoo (JM), down 91 to 239th.

OUTLOOK

Possibilities depending on the Final were partly covered above, but I can add that if Rafa wins, all 9 Rafa to win pickers currently in the top 30 will finish in the top 10, while if Fed wins, all 8 Fed to win pickers currently in the top 14 will do so, with the current top three finishing in the top 10 whoever wins.

With 156 entrants (34%) having picked Fed to win the title and just 48 (11%) having picked Rafa to do so, 300 entrants need Rafa to win in order to move up or to minimise the amount they drop.

Schedule for the FINAL UPDATE and NEW OVERALL RANKINGS

Thank you for taking part in this pick 'em, I hope you have enjoyed it.

I have to go away for about a week tomorrow (business not pleasure, sadly) and Bethan is out for some of the day on Sunday, but she expects to be able to upload the final AO pick 'em results by 17.00 GMT (12.00 US Eastern) on Sunday, not that it will be too hard to work out where you have finished from the current table once the result is known.

I can't guarantee that she will have time to do a report as well, while unfortunately I definitely won't be able to update the hall of fame and overall ranking list until the following weekend. I'll post something on all the boards that get these reports when the new overall rankings are done - I think there could be quite a few changes!

mjd · Challenger qualifying

Thanks Steven, Bethan and anyone else who helped with this.

It's interesting that the overall top 3 and 5 of the top 10 were 'Individual' entries, I wonder why this is?
Perhaps not belonging to a web based group they have more of an open mind and are without alegience to individual players or do they have inside information?

Any way this quiz adds that extra bit of interest on the outcome of all the matches instead of just a few.

Thanks!

Link to results

-- Edited by mjd at 18:10, 2009-02-01