Wall Of Fame Contest: 2019 Indian Wells. From Alpha. Thanks.

ALPHA

TP, a suggestion. To make it interesting, why don't we have a tennis suicide pool for IW. Winner gets WOF. If we have multiple winners, they get a honorobale mention.

I'll happily run it the first time and then we can take turns.

What say, TP?

Note: Rules are simple. Each round you must pick a man (and maybe woman, if you want to do two pools) who will not lose in that round, and then you can't use that player again. So, don't pick Novak in R1 or R2 for you can't pick him again. If anyone can survive all rounds, they'll get a WOF or HM on WM if shared. It's harder than you think.

Draw here.

Wall Of Fame here.

Comments

[Alpha]

TP, can you please put this near the top or it sits buried.

Everyone here goes, you can see the rules. Pick the player who you think will win R1. You can't pick him again. Then the same for R2 and so on. A wrong pick and you're out. Last one standing and until the end of the tournament wins.

The draw is linked here:

http://www.protennislive.com/posting/2019/404/mds.pdf

[Alpha]

As the first round has already started, let's do this from R2. I'll get it started.

Bautista Agut.

[sperry]

Never done this before... Pella

[Alpha]

R2:
Alpha -- RBA
Sperry -- Pella

[Alpha]

It'll be fun. Gets quite strategic from R4. Choose your surest win in each round knowing you can't pick the guy again. If here is enough enthusaism we can try it for every Masters and Slam. Perhaps for the women too.

[nick]

L Djere

[Veglia]

... but we don't know yet the draw for r2 yet as they are still playing r1. What's the cutoff to make my pick for r2?

[Veglia]

BTW, I nominate Alpha for WoF simply for suggesting this, it's awesome!

[Alpha]

Cutodd will be before the r2 match you choose begins.

[Alpha]

R2:
Alpha -- RBA
Sperry -- Pella
Nick -- L Djere

[Gary Moser]

"To make it interesting, why don't we have a tennis suicide pool for IW."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I've found that putting cash-on-the-barrelhead via a SportsBook account ALWAYS keeps things "interesting" ---
and, alas, sometimes suicidal --- enough for my competitive instincts. So, I'll forego this.

[ But will watch with considerable interest! ]

[Tennis Planet]

ALPHA

Typepad allows just one post on top. Will keep moving it up everyday so it sits next to top.

Meanwhile link is posted @ Chat thread.

[nick]

Seconded

[sperry]

when is R-3 due?

[Veglia]

R2 Thiem

[Clifford]

R2 Coric!

[Alpha]

After R2 is over.

[Alpha]

R2:
Alpha -- RBA
Sperry -- Pella
Nick -- L Djere
Veglia -- Thiem
Clifford -- Coric

[Alpha]

Or anytime you want before the match you call starts getting played.

[Alpha]

You should play this. It's just fun anyway and match calling is something you do. Think of it, do well, and you wipe out a lifetime of Veglia's WOG achievements sin one season. :-)

[Alpha]

It's not original. But it's like playing our on tournament and that should make it fun.

[sperry]

R-3 D Schwartzman

[Gary Moser]

OK. Miami.

[O]

Said R2 D Schwartzman repeatedly never showed up, went to typepad?

[O]

Alpha could you count me too as R2 Schwartzman? TP - sometimes the comments didn't work for me, something wrong with Typepad?

[Tennis Planet]

O

Let me if it happens again. I am assuming everything is perfect now.

Switching browser (Chrome, Firefox, Explorer, Edge etc) could help.

[O]

Thanks TP!

[Alpha]

R2:
Alpha -- RBA
Sperry -- Pella
Nick -- L Djere Y
Veglia -- Thiem
Clifford -- Coric X
O -- Diego Schwartzman

Sperry -- wait for the R2 result before you pick R3.

Guys, if I miss a result (for there are lots), please let me know. Thanks

[Alpha]

R3:PLEASE PICK

Alpha -- RBA -- OUT
Sperry -- Pella; R3:
Nick -- L Djere Y; R3:
Veglia -- Thiem; R3:
Clifford -- Coric X --OUT
O -- Diego Schwartzman; R3:

[Veglia]

R3 Edmund

[nick]

R3: Prajnesh

[Alpha]

Alpha -- OUT
Clifford -- OUT

Sperry -- Pella; R3: Schwartzman
Nick: L Djere; R3: Prajnesh
Veglia -- Thiem; R3: Edmund
O -- Diego Schwartzman; R3: ?

[O]

TP I tried many times to say R3 Rafa, but they didn't show up! Different browsers tried too.

[O]

R3 Rafa

[Tennis Planet]

O

Have informed Typepad. Lets see what they say.

[O]

Thanks TP!

[Alpha]

Alpha -- OUT
Clifford -- OUT

Sperry -- Pella; R3: Schwartzman
Nick: L Djere; R3: Prajnesh
Veglia -- Thiem; R3: Edmund
O -- Diego Schwartzman; R3: Nadal

[Tennis Planet]

O

Here's the response from Typepad:

For the person leaving the comment, are they signed in to Typepad or are they trying to fill in the form?

[O]

Fill in the form.

[nick]

I flamed out. Good luck everyone. But very nice game Alpha

[Alpha]

Alpha -- OUT
Clifford -- OUT
Nick --OUT

Sperry -- Pella; R3: Schwartzman
Veglia -- Thiem; R3: Edmund
O -- Diego Schwartzman; R3: Nadal

R3 not yet done and we are down to 3 players. And as Rafa plays Diego, we are guranteed at least one more dropout after R3.

[O]

R4 - M. Kecmanović

[Alpha]

R4:

Alpha -- OUT
Clifford -- OUT
Nick --OUT
Sperry -- OUT

O --M. Kecmanović
Veglia -- ??

Interesting stage. Two alive, but O has already picked Rafa and with Novak losing, Rafa is the favourite.But, you never know.

[Veglia]

r4 nadal

[Alpha]

R4:

Alpha -- OUT
Clifford -- OUT
Nick --OUT
Sperry -- OUT

O --M. Kecmanović
Veglia -- Nadal

[Alpha]

Very interesting. Both our survivors, O and Veglia, are betting that Nadal will not win this. Even with Djokovic out.

[Veglia]

I am only trying to beat O, different logic

[O]

It'll be difficult to go all the way to win this WOF, perhaps the final survivor should win it? Talking about factual WOF, I hope this will be the one we do for every event.

[Alpha]

Beating O gets you a H2H bragging right but you don't get the WOF. For that you need to be alive after the final.

[Alpha]

Got the meet both relative and absolute criteria. Have to be alive after the final.

[Veglia]

WoF doesn't matter to me, I just love the game and travel with my family around the world ... 😀
Isn't bragging rights all the rage here on the planet??!!

[Veglia]

O, Kecmanovic??!! WTF?
You deserve WoF just for this pick .I ''wasted' Nadal ...

[O]

Are you competing every round too?

[O]

Rafa is through, the game goes on I guess.

[nick]

is it just me that Federer's shot just don't look anything like those of 2017 . I did not see much in 2018 but 2017 IW he probably peaked around.

[Alpha]

Both alive. Need QF picks, Veglia and O.

[O]

QF - Thiem

[Alpha]

QF:

Alpha -- OUT
Clifford -- OUT
Nick --OUT
Sperry -- OUT

O: Schwartzman; Nadal; Kecmanovic; Thiem
Veglia: Thiem; Edmund; Nadal; ???

[nick]

Man O: you had the one heck of a punt on that man from Serbia. Jeez what a fairly tale tournament for him.

[Veglia]

Qf Raonic

[Alpha]

QF:

Alpha -- OUT
Clifford -- OUT
Nick --OUT
Sperry -- OUT

O: Schwartzman; Nadal; Kecmanovic; Thiem
Veglia: Thiem; Edmund; Nadal; Raonic

[Tennis Planet]

O

Response from Typepad:

Have them email us at [email protected] We can work with them to resolve this issue. Have them give a description of the issue, what browser they are using, and what troubleshooting steps they have tried.

[O]

Thanks so much TP for this! Much appreciated!

[Alpha]

Both O and Veglia alive, await SF picks.

It's gotten interesting. If Rafa wins against Khachanov, Veglia would have snookered himself. He will not have a pick for the final. His only possible semi pick can be Rafa's opponent, which means that he would have picked all 4 semifinalists at some stage and therefore have no viable pick for the final.

[Veglia]

Even if Khachanov wins I can only pick between him and Fed (projected) in the semis, leaving no option for the finals. So my only chance is to go for bragging rights against O.

[Alpha]

Yeah, either way you are done. Told you this was tougher than it looked. On the bright side, you have bragging rights against everyone right now and have a chance against O.

[o]

SF - Raonic
F - Federer

[Alpha]

SF:

Alpha -- OUT
Clifford -- OUT
Nick --OUT
Sperry -- OUT

O: Schwartzman; Nadal; Kecmanovic; Thiem; Raonic
Veglia: Thiem; Edmund; Nadal; Raonic; Federer

[o]

I've been having trouble posting here, because posts don't show up sometimes. If Federer and Raaonic both reach the finals, I pick Federer to win now, in case I won't post anything later.

It seems Veglia won't win because his cards will be used up. I don't have too many paths either. If Raonic beats Thiem, and Federer beats Rafa, then I feel very good about it. Three matches a lot could go wrong. If it turns out I win and Federer beats Raonic in the finals, I feel it's very very difficult to win this kind of WOF. So many matches have to go right sequentially. Now anyone might win this whole thing? Raonic(which I have chance but didn't choose?)? Thiem(gone for me)? Rafa(gone for me)? Federer and Raonic are very important players for me?

[o]

Lucky pick that worked to perfection?

[nick]

Very interesting now.

Veglia can not choose Raonic, Federer, Rafa. Only choice is Thiem and if Thiem wins then out anyway.
O : can not choose Rafa, Thiem or Raonic. So only Federer. If Federer wins no choice for final. If Federer looses out anyway.

A suicide pool indeed.

[Alpha]

Veglia is out after the semis, no matter what. He has chosen all 4 semi-finalists at some stage. He chose Thiem in R2.

O can win if Raonic wins his semis and Federer wins the final.

Yes, this is not easy. I'll ask TP to get Miami started as soon as we know the draw. Hopefully we will get more players.

[Veglia]

O has a realistic chance of surviving it all and if it happens well deserved, mostly because of that Kecmanovic puck. That was a master shot.

[Alpha]

Contest is over: NO WINNER.

Veglia went the furthest. Reached the finals but broke all his rackets along the way. Can't play the finals.

Let's wait for Miami. Planeteers, please join. It's fun AND it's the only WOF where you are not at the mercy of TP's unique logic.

[Gary Moser]

"Veglia went the furthest. Reached the finals but broke all his rackets along the way. Can't play the finals."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like, in marathoning, setting a world record pace for the first 20 miles ---
but then being forced to drop out in the last 6.2...

Glorious failure, as opposed to garden-variety failure, huh?

[ Having framed it such, I'm IN for Miami. ]

[Alpha]

[ Having framed it such, I'm IN for Miami. ]

Good news! You'll enjoy this one. As Veglia will testify, it requires strategy.

[o]

Very close to winning, but Monfils WO probably spoiled all?

[Veglia]

Alpha, thanks so much for suggesting this, it was real fun, can't wait for Miami.

O, congrats on tough fight, in the end I was just lucky, your strategy was better. And that Kecmanovic pick, WoF in itself.

Finally, I have to admit, I didn't read the rules as I should. I assumed it was 'last man standing' not 'survive all rounds'. In any case, Alpha is absolutely right, it is harder than it looks. I think if I was playing to survive all rounds I would have been out much earlier.

[O]

Yes great job Alpha for organizing this, thanks so much! and great job Veglia for fighting to the end, it was a lot of fun. I always thought it would be very very tough. I was lucky to almost win it except the Raonic-Thiem match losing by a small margin, Thiem having all this energy from the Monfils WO. Winning or not, this might be as far as I can get. In this game, you have to pick the winner, the runner up, a semifinalist correctly in addition to surviving the earlier rounds to win it all? I had the winner in mind but was preoccupied by surviving.

[O]

And forgetting about picking a runner up, and a second runner up ...