SHANGHAI MASTERS 2009 'BATTLE OF THE BOARDS' PICK 'EM - FACTSHEET
A combination of an unusual time zone, an unusually late main draw (it now seems to have been put back to Saturday) and a Sunday start (with four main draw matches due to be played that day) means that the entry window for Shanghai will be very tight indeed - and unfortunately we will all have to pick before the qualifiers are known!
Approximate timetable
The approximate timetable for the Shanghai pick 'em is:
Saturday 10 Oct 07.00 GMT (8 am UK / 3 am US Eastern) - main draw takes place
Saturday 10 Oct 09.00 GMT (10 am UK / 5 am US Eastern) - you can assume the entry form will be available by this time at the latest unless the ATP are exceptionally slow to get the draw online
Sunday 11 Oct 04.00 GMT (5 in the morning UK, midnight Saturday US Eastern) - entries close (in practice, they will close when the first main draw match starts, but that could be just minutes after this time)
In other words, people in Europe and the eastern US will need to enter during the day on Saturday or on Saturday evening.
The ATP BC says there will only be about 24 hours to enter, so I imagine they are working to the same schedule as us, though this actually means an entry window of only about 19-20 hours.
Alerts
Emails appropriate to the notification option selected by past entrants will be sent out to those who asked for them, but the earliest notification of when entries are open, qualifiers are placed, etc, is likely to be on the BOTB Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/botb1
Entry limit
I don't think we need to worry about exceeding 500 entrants for this one! Indeed, although the rankings allow for the number of entrants so you can't really gain in ranking terms by entering a smaller pick 'em, it is likely to mean a higher chance than normal of a top 10/50/100 finish if you're after one of those!
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
No, I started to do it then remembered how much of a pain it was to 'translate' the entries last time we did it and how few people actually took advantage of it. So I've got a better idea:
If you won't be around on Saturday
If any regular entrants won't be around on Saturday but don't want to miss the chance to defend or gain some ranking points, I don't mind if you pm instructions to someone else this time so that they can enter for you.
For example:
- Nole to beat Rafa in the Final - Duckboy and Potty to reach the semis - Verdasco to reach the QFs - Hewitt to reach the QFs - Higher seed to win any match between seeds - 1st-named player to win any match between non-seeds
Please don't make the instructions too complicated and please don't pm Bethan or me since we won't have time to do entries for other people and please check with the person you intend to pm first that they are happy to do your entry!
The person doing the proxy entry should:
- put the name of the person they are doing the entry for in the player name field - pick the same team and country as the entrant usually plays for - put "proxy entry by <your name>" in the email field - work through the instructions and if two instructions conflict, give precedence to the first one (e.g. if in the example above, it turns out that Hewitt would have to play Rafa in the L16 so can't reach the QFs, have Hewitt going out in the L16 instead)
If you want to offer your services as a proxy, feel free to post here!
Q v Q matches
As you know, we will all have to make our picks before qualifiers are placed. In a change from usual, everyone will be assumed to get Q v Q matches right, so whether you pick the first-named or second-named player, your tick will be automatically switched to the correct winner, with that winner counting for you in future rounds if you picked the winner of that match to carry on winning and the actual winner does so.
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
Entries for the Shanghai Masters BOTB pick 'em contest are now open at http://www.britishtennis.net/Competitions.html - it is unclear whether the main draw starts at 04.00 GMT or 06.00 GMT tomorrow - the ATP BC implies the latter, other sources the former - so assume 04.00 GMT (5 am UK, midnight tonight US EDT) for now, but I'll send the usual emails to those who requested them and confirm the deadline once tomorrow's OoP comes out.
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
Entered. Can only do better than the US Open. As long as I come within the top 50% as opposed to the bottom 50% then I will be MODERATELY happy (i.e. satisfied) - top 30% and I'll be delirious, top 10% and I will literally explode.
If I'm last I will start using CAPS LOCK again. I'm sure you're all aware of what that means, aren't you? AREN'T YOU?