US Open Prediction Challenge

[Moose]

A 2nd US Open Contest...yeah, thought we would try to start an ongoing prediction game starting with the Open, and run it through the tennis season(s). We'll see how we do with participants and membership, and go forward accordingly.
For the US Open Prediction Challenge, you'll be picking the Quarterfinalists through the Champion. Following thorugh the draw, you will pick your 8 1/4s (men and women), then your 4 semis, your 2 finalists, and finally the winner. You'll get points through each round (1 for each quarter-finalist you correctly pick, 2 for each semi, 3 for each finalist, and 5 if you pick the winner.).
To make it a little different then other draw contests, each week you will also get to pick a "wildcard" player - only one each week. So you'll pick one player, male or female, who isn't a part of your draw selections. Say a quarter final match features Capriati vs. Serena. You pick Serena to win and take her through the rest of your draw...but you have a sneaky suspicion that Capster just might win. Then Cappy can be your wildcard for the week.

Predictions are going to be due before the 4th round of play...which will likely be Sunday of next week.
If you have any questions, post them here on PM me. Or if you have suggestions to make a better prediction format, let us know. Lets try to make this fun and a good demonstration of your knowledge.
I'll try to post a "dummy" prediction format tomorrow or Tuesday so you can see how it works.

[Moose]

Hey Everyone:
Sorry on my delay - I was at the Open yesterday! (see sepearte post).

Okay, we start 3rd round actio today on the ladies side, and the men are getting close, so we are ready to make some predictions in our first US Open Showdown here at TAT!

Predictions on the Womens Side will be due no later than Sunday's Start of Play - 11:00 a.m. ET, I believe. PRediction for the Mans will be due no later than 11:00 a.m. on Monday.

What you need to do is select your brackets quarter finalists, semi finalist, finalists and winner.

For example, looking at the draw, you might select as follows

Womens QF:
Henin-Hardene
Pierce
Suarez
Davenport
Capriati
S. Williams
Zvonereva
Schiavone

SF
Henin-Hardene
Davenport
S. Williams
Schiavone

F
Davenport
Schiavone

Winner: Schiavone

Mens QF:
Federer
Agassi
Rochus
Henman
Haas
Hewitt
J. Johannson
Roddick

SF:
Agassi
O. Rochus
Hewitt
Roddick

F:
O. Rochus
Hewitt

Winner: Olivier Rochus

Wildcard: Carlos Moya

You are also allowed to select 1 Wildcard - this is a player who you do not have in your Quarterfinals, but you think has an outside chance of upsetting the applecart, as it were. In my example, since I don't have Carlos Moya making the quarters, I could choose him as my wildcard, and get points for his advancing as well.
You get only one wildcard for the tournament, so use it to pick the one player, male or female, who you think is the best of the Round of 16 that you did not pick to make the quarters.

Scoring:
Quarter Final Picks: 1 Point
Semis - 2 points
Finalists - 3 points
Winner: 5 points

Total points wins the contest, and lifts high the TAT Cup. You can also spin around Arthur Ashe and blow kisses to the crowd if you like.

[Sebastien447]

I'll be here with my picks, I love contests! Which is a bit strange considering the fact that I never win any of em ::)

essentially you're runing a March madness type contest beginning with the QF ... makes sense and sounds like fun! Maybe we could run that type of contest for the entire tourney in the future.

[Moose]

Seb:
You have the idea, brackets and all, with the minor wildcard dif.
We'll keep playing prediction games each week through the season, if the interest is here among the group - usually one mens and womens tourney each week - some weeks there are 3 or so tourneys, and usually you start getting some tier 5s where nobody knows any of the ovas and inas that are playing.

Glad to have you join in.

[Sebastien447]

like you said ... not sure about the interest level with so many tourneys around these days ... maybe just run contests for the majors and master's series events?

whatever you decide to do, if I have the time ... I'm IN! I figure the law of averages has to catch up with me sooner or later :P

[Kirkus]

This should be a hoot! Easy to understand yet so much more than just "pick who's gonna win".

Thanks, Moose! I'll be here with my picks.

[Sebastien447]

could be interesting to reward picking upsets with bonus points ... maybe equal to the difference in their seeds.

if you pick #4 over #1 ... 3 extra points, #19 over #5 ... 14 pts, etc...

and if you pick an unseeded player over a seed ... major bonus points!

just an idea, let me know what you think

[Kirkus]

could be interesting to reward picking upsets with bonus points ... maybe equal to the difference in their seeds.

if you pick #4 over #1 ... 3 extra points, #19 over #5 ... 14 pts, etc...

and if you pick an unseeded player over a seed ... major bonus points!

just an idea, let me know what you think

I'll leave that up to you guys. I need a calculater to count sheep.

[Moose]

could be interesting to reward picking upsets with bonus points ... maybe equal to the difference in their seeds.

if you pick #4 over #1 ... 3 extra points, #19 over #5 ... 14 pts, etc...

and if you pick an unseeded player over a seed ... major bonus points!

just an idea, let me know what you think

Maybe by the AO, we can get a formula together. For now, with just getting started, I personally am a fan of keeping it simple, if that is cool with everyone else.

[Kirkus]

You're the boss of Contests/Challenges, Moose. Whatever you want to do.

[Moose]

Allright, looks like I am going first on the prediction front - if Davs loses tonight, I can edit it in the a.m. before start of play:

US OPEN WOmens:
Henin-Hardene
Kuznetsova
Daniilidou
Davenport
Sugiyama
Williams (S.)
Zvonereva
Mauresmo

Henin-Hardene
Davenport
Williams
Mauresmo

Davenport
Mauresmo
WINNER: Davenport

I'm going to use my wildcard on the ladies side also (since you get only one, you have to choose whether to use it on the mens or womens).

Wildcard: Mary Pierce

[Kirkus]

I'm also assuming that Lindsay wins:

ROUND OF 16:
Henin-Hardenne
Kuznetsova
Daniilidou
Davenport
Capriati
Williams
Zvonareva
Mauresmo

QUARTERS:
Henin-Hardenne
Davenport
Williams
Mauresmo

SEMI-FINALS:
Davenport
Williams

WINNER:
Davenport

WILDCARD:
Schnyder

[Betsmoyo]

HI here is my predictions:
QFS
womens
Sugiyama
J Henin Hardenne
L Davenport
S Kuznetsova
V Zvonereva
A Mauresmo
S Williams
Asagoe

Mens
Federer (hot dude)
A Agassi
L Hewitt
A Roddick
T Haas
O Rochus
M Youznhy
T Robredo

SFS
Womens
J Henin Hardenne
L Davenport
V Zvonereva
A Mauresmo

Mens
Federer (hot dude)
A Agassi
L Hewitt
A Roddick

Fianls
WOmens
Davenport
Mauresmo

Mens
Federer (hot dude)
A Roddick

Winners
Womens
L Davenport

Mens
Federer (hot dude)

[Betsmoyo]

HI here is my predictions:
QFS
womens
Sugiyama
J Henin Hardenne
L Davenport
S Kuznetsova
V Zvonereva
A Mauresmo
S Williams
Asagoe

Mens
Federer (hot dude)
A Agassi
L Hewitt
A Roddick
T Haas
O Rochus
M Youznhy
T Robredo

SFS
Womens
J Henin Hardenne
L Davenport
V Zvonereva
A Mauresmo

Mens
Federer (hot dude)
A Agassi
L Hewitt
A Roddick

Fianls
WOmens
Davenport
Mauresmo

Mens
Federer (hot dude)
A Roddick

Winners
Womens
L Davenport

Mens
Fed (hot dude)

wilcard: S. Williams
sorry i forgot the wildcard.

[Sebastien447]

Maybe by the AO, we can get a formula together. For now, with just getting started, I personally am a fan of keeping it simple, if that is cool with everyone else.

*********************************************

sounds good to me ... I've always been a big fan of the KISS method (Keep It Simple Stupid) :)

here ya go fellow contestants ... I purposely didn't look too closely at anyone elses picks so I hope I don't repeat an entry, but I seriously doubt that I will

Henin-Hardenne
Kuznetsova
Asagoe
Davenport
Capriati
S. Williams
Zvonareva
Schiavone

H-H
Dav
Williams
Zvon

H-H
Williams

H-H

[Sebastien447]

and I'll save my wildcard for the men

btw, bets, you might want to wait a bit on your men's entry ... I know, I know, you're just confident right :)

[Kirkus]

Assuming Hewitt wins

MENS QUARTERS
Federer
Agassi
Hrbaty
Keifer
Haas
Hewitt
Johansson
Roddick

SEMIS
Federer
Keifer
Haas
Roddick

FINAL
Federer
Roddick

WINNER
Roddick

[Moose]

Yeah, I'm on the same assumption on Lleyton...but of course he'll win - he dates Kim, you know!

Federer
Agassi
Rochus (Lord, please!)
Keifer
Haas
Hewitt
Johannson
Roddick

Agassi
Keifer
Hewitt
Roddick

Agassi
Roddick

Winner: Andy "Bam Bam" Roddick

[Sebastien447]

Federer
Agassi
Hrbaty
Henman
Haas
Hewitt
Johannson
Roddick

Agassi
Henman
Hewitt
Roddick

Agassi
Roddick

Roddick

wildcard: Kiefer