If qualifying finishes on Friday as scheduled, qualifiers will be placed sometime on Friday evening UK time, but you will be welcome to enter before that if you need to, as long as you don't mind picking matches involving qualifiers 'blind'.
As in the last two years, 16 main draw matches are due to be played on Sunday, so entries will close at 09.00 GMT (10 am UK / 11.00 CET / 5 am US EDT) on SUNDAY.
With a Sunday deadline, I doubt we will hit the 500 entrant limit this time even though we got very close at the AO with 488, but there is an outside chance that we might. If we do, anyone in the top 250 of the overall rankings after Rome will get in as long as they enter before the deadline, but other places will be filled on a first-come first-served basis. So, if you are not in the top 250, I would suggest not leaving it until the very last minute to enter.
There are links to the overall rankings, entries processed so far (which will be updated every few hours) and a more detailed explanation of how the 500 entrant limit would work if it was needed at http://www.freewebs.com/britishtennis/Competitions.html
Also, The ranking 'twin' table is back, showing which player has the same ATP ranking as your BOTB pick 'em overall ranking, assuming you have played at least one pick 'em in the last 12 months - see http://www.freewebs.com/britishtennis/pickem/ranktwin.htm?n=1
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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!
He's been around for a while and his name is of Portuguese origin. If I remember right, Wardy beat him on his way to the Sarasota title last year and Muzza once beat him in RG Juniors.
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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!
Even if we hit 500 in total this time (which I doubt given the Sunday start), there's no chance we'll get there before qualifiers are placed, unless the of qualifying gets seriously delayed, so if any of you are outside the top 250, you don't need to rush to enter on Friday afternoon.
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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!
The 500 entrant limit will apply in the unlikely event that we get more than 500 entrants (with the top 250 in the BOTB overall rankings getting automatic places if they enter by the 9 GMT Sunday deadline and others getting accepted in order of entry), but there's absolutely no chance that we'll go over the limit before qualifiers are placed (or even before the end of Saturday, unless something absolutely crazy happens), so even if you aren't in the top 250, don't feel you need to rush to enter before qualifiers are placed if you would prefer to wait.
Good luck!
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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!
I actually think the fewer people that sign, the more chance I have of coming inside the top 250.
Seriously, with my current track record, if 250 people played this game, I'd come 290th.
I'm tempted to do an experimental pick'em where I choose the players I THINK will win and then pick the loser instead... but that would be suici... actually I might try that. I can't do any worse than normal.
I hear Gasquet won in Nice and is raring to go against Andy.
I must say, for a while I was tempted to pick Paul-Henri Mathieu against Marcel Granollers... then I said "what are you doing? Picking the GEM on clay against a Spaniard?!" and did the sensible thing and picked Granollers.
However, I'm also taking the dubious decision to pick Blaz over Eduardo Schwank. Insanity or friendship at work, but it's difficult to tell at Pick'em time.
I've also given Olek a risky run here.
Rafa as champion.
Let's see how it pans out.
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King of Slice "He's on a one-man mission to bring the slice back to tennis." Inverdale