606v2 World Tour - MIAMI - deadline TODAY @3pm (GMT) !

OK we're moving on to Miami! The draw should come out today local time.

On the Indian Wells thread I posted some questions about the top contenders. I'll repeat them here and add John Isner to the list!

• Djokovic: has been Mr. Invincible but lost in straight sets to Murray in Dubai. Will he bounce back?
  > No so invincible anymore... How would we see his season if he'd also lost that epic 5-setter against Murray in Melbourne?
  
• Nadal: took February off, is he fit? Can he end his losing streak against Djokovic?
  > Didn't get his chance to take on the Djoker. How long will it take before we get another Djokovic-Nadal final?
  
• Federer: has he gained enough confidence in Rotterdam and Dubai to beat Rafa/Novak?
  > Sure looks like it, although he hasn't faced Djokovic since the US Open (only exhibition).
  
• Murray: beat the Djoker in Dubai, has he turned the tide?
  > Had a bad loss in his first match, can he regroup himself?
  
• Ferrer: collected ranking points on the clay courts of Argentina and Mexico, but can he win also 'real' tournaments?
  > If he keeps winning enough of those smaller events, he might still be able to stay in the top 8
  
• Tsonga: would like to avoid DelPo in R16! Can he beat a "big 4" player?
  > Got a better draw and was very close to a QF against Rafa, is he an outsider for the Miami title?
  
• Del Potro: only Federer has been able to stop him recently, how would DelPo do against Novak or Rafa?
  > We still don't know!
  
• Raonic: won two 250s already this year, plus a 500 final in Memphis. Can the big 4 handle his serve?
  > Was very unlucky with the draw (3rd round against Fed), but proved that he is a serious contender.
  
• Davydenko: looked impressive in Rotterdam and Marseille. Has he recovered from injury?
  > Think I read that he had the "Indian Wells virus" i.e. no injury. Hope that's true and we'll see him in action in Miami!
  
• Nalbandian: got wild cards for IW and Miami, to be avoided in R1. Can he turn back the clock?
  > Beat two top 10 players and was very close to beating Rafa as well. Can he keep it up?!
  
• Isner: followed up his DC win against Federer with a victory over Djokovic. Should do well on the faster courts of Miami.
  

Just to remind you: predictions to be posted e.g. in the following format:

Losing in QF: Berdych, Simon, Ferrer, Anderson
Losing in SF: Federer, Fish
Runner-up: Nadal, Winner: Djokovic

Oh minions,

I shall refrain from posting until the eleventh hour lest my fortelling be hijacked by unscrupulous sorts.



emancipator

Emancipator. Bet you don't win Miami !

We shall see; except I have already seen.





emancipator

Federer's been drawn on Djokovic's side of the draw, Murray on Nadal's.

Fed's third round match may be against Roddick and Djokovic may face Delpo in the quarter finals.

Any thoughts? What do we think of a potential Djokovic vs Federer semi-final? Does anyone think Nadal will be final waiting for either one or has Murray matured enough to take Nadal out in the semis?

Im guessing Tsonga will be drawn on Nadal's side too, will he pose a danger to Nadal on the faster Miami hardcourts?

They don't really play faster than IW. Miami is humid; the balls fluff up and the conditions become very slow.

Isner is in Nadal's quarter. But can he put together two stellar weeks, I have my doubts.

Losing in QF: Isner, Dolgopolov, Anderson, Del Potro
Losing in SF: Djokovic, Nadal
Runner-up: Murray
Winner: Federer

Play gets under way on Wednesday and the deadline for submitting your predictions is Wed @ 3pm GMT, i.e. 11am local time in Miami.

Losing in QF: Djokovic, Verdasco, Nalbandian, Davydenko
Losing in SF: Del Potro, Raonic
Runner-up: Federer
Winner: Nadal

Losing in QF: Nadal, Verdasco, Del-po, Davydenko
Losing in SF: Del Potro, Isner
Runner-up: Federer
Winner: Djorkovic

Losing in QF: Djoko, Dolgopolov, Anderson, Tsonga
Losing in SF: Delpo, Nadal
Runner-up: Federer
Winner: Murray

fernando wrote:Losing in QF: Nadal, Verdasco, Del-po, Davydenko
Losing in SF: Del Potro, Isner
Runner-up: Federer
Winner: Djorkovic

fernando: note that Federer and Djokovic are in the same half of the draw! You can still amend your predictions until the deadline on Wed @3PM GMT

Or is this "Djorkovic" a qualifier I haven't heard of, who you expect to win the tournament??!

fernando

i am the true forteller. The rest are pale imitations.



emancipator

prostaff85 wrote:

fernando wrote:Losing in QF: Nadal, Verdasco, Del-po, Davydenko
Losing in SF: Del Potro, Isner
Runner-up: Federer
Winner: Djorkovic

fernando: note that Federer and Djokovic are in the same half of the draw! You can still amend your predictions until the deadline on Wed @3PM GMT

Or is this "Djorkovic" a qualifier I haven't heard of, who you expect to win the tournament??!

My bad I had no idea what the draw was maybe you should link it

Winner: Djokovic
Runner up : Murray
Semi's : Federer + Nadal
Quarters: Delpo, Almagro,Tipsarevic,Isner

Hopefully these are right

Quarters: Delpo, Querry, Raonic, Isner
Semi's : Djokovic, Nadal
Runner up : Federer
Winner: Ladies and gentlemen, I give you - Fernando Gonzales!

Quarters: Delpo, Almagro, ahhhh what the hell worth a punt his final swansong GO GONZO!, Tsonga
Semi's: Djokovic, Raonic ( i am being bold eh!)
Runner up: Nadal
Winner: Federer (again worth a punt come on feds!!!!)

W: Murray
F: Djokovic
SF: Nadal, Federer
QF: Dolgopolov, Delpo, Almagro, Davydenko

QF Del Potro Almagro Berdych Isner
SF Djokovic Murray
F Federer
W Nadal

QF Delpo, Anderson, Berdych, Isner
SF Federer, Raonic
F Djokovic
W Nadal

time please wrote:QF Delpo, Anderson, Berdych, Isner
SF Federer, Raonic
F Djokovic
W Nadal

Yes, I fancied Nadal on this occasion ashe never won it despite the court suiting him.

QF Del Potro Almagro Berdych Isner
SF Djokovic Murray
F Federer
W Nadal

QF Delpo, Almagro, Murray, Isner
SF Federer, Tipsarevic (for a long-shot punt)
F Djokovic
W Nadal

Hello everyone. I might as well give this a go:

W: Djokovic
F: Nadal
SF: Federer, Murray
QF: Del Potro, Fish, Nalbandian, Tsonga

On a related note, well done to James Ward and Laura Robson for making it through to the final qualifying round. Ward beat Golubev in straight sets.

BuLioli wrote:Hello everyone. I might as well give this a go:

W: Djokovic
F: Nadal
SF: Federer, Murray
QF: Del Potro, Fish, Nalbandian, Tsonga

On a related note, well done to James Ward and Laura Robson for making it through to the final qualifying round. Ward beat Golubev in straight sets.

Welcome to the competition! And nice to see someone else including Nalbandian in their predictions

Thanks prostaff! Yeah Nalby seems to be in a decent run of form at the mo - though he'll have to get past Berdych in the 4th round, which might scupper our predictions. You've gone for some brave choices I see!

QF Ferrer, Almagro, Dolgopolov, Isner
SF Nadal, Murray
F Djokovic
W Federer.

QF - Fish, del Potro, Raonic, Tsonga
SF - Federer, Berdych
F - Djokovic
W - Nadal

QF - Del Potro, Fish, Nalbandian, Nadal
SF - Djokovic, Tsonga
F - Murray
W - Federer



emancipator - reigning prediction league champion and undisputed world number 1

Emancipator. With that selection your reign at the top is gonna be a short one. This from the man who predicted on another board that, at Indian Wells, del Po would beat Fed and then that Fed would lose to Rafa and then that Isner would take the title. So I know what I'm talking about !

SFP, I am already relishing the glory of victory.



emancipator

sfp : I think I must be as hopeless as you !

I've rarely bothered participating in these harmless predictions on the board where there's nothing (other than maybe a bit of pride) to lose, but oddly enough I then sometimes get tempted to try my luck for proper money. And I think staff of Messrs Ladbrokes are beginning to like the sight of me at my local branch.

My most recent doomed efforts (for Indian Wells) :

- DelPo to take out Fed
- Rafa the outright tourney winner

Oh dear ....

Better odds can be made betting in advance e.g. betting that XXX will win a slam in the next two years but I'm not sure how to make such bets.

Nore Staat : I'm sure you're right.

And I'm also fairly sure it's not that hard to go about it. Any of the big firms will - on request - give you a quote for pretty much anything, however obscure or distant time-wise. AFAIK you only have to ask.

But I'm not organised enough myself to bother. Plus, I prefer the 'immediacy' of taking a punt on a current event where the outcome will be known within days, or sometimes even less.

Can't imagine what you might have got before the start of IW on an Isner v Fed Final .....

For Indian Wells, we had the following distribution of predictions for the winner:
Djoko-Rafa-Fed-Murray: 7-5-1-4

For Miami, it looks as follows at the moment:
Djoko-Rafa-Fed-Murray: 2-6-4-2
(and one brave vote for F. Gonzalez!)

Deadline today at 3pm GMT (11am local time in Miami)

QF - Tsonga, Dolgopolov, Djokovic, Almagro

SF - Murray, Del Potro

F - Federer

W - Nadal

QF: Del Potro, Fish, Berdych, Tsonga

SF: Federer, Nadal

F: Murray

W: Djokovic

Just 4 mins late spuranik...boy, life can be cruel

I am accepting it as a 'late entry'

Why don't you hop on the train too, lydian?

lydian wrote:Just 4 mins late spuranik...boy, life can be cruel

I participated on a special request Lydian...See, you cannot left out the esteemed members of the board...

And now I see that you are being invited too... Rest assured that you are in a good company.