Pickem - US Open 2009

[steven]

I've just got back from a few days away to piles and piles of work, so the post-Montréal overall pick 'em rankings are unlikely to get done until midweek, but here's some preliminary info about the next BOTB pick 'em:

US OPEN PICK 'EM - FACTSHEET

Entries for the US Open pick 'em *edit* have now opened.

Approximate timetable

The approximate timetable for the US Open pick 'em is:

Thu. 27 Aug 16.00 GMT (5 pm UK) - main draw takes place

Thu. 27 Aug evening (UK) - main draw available on the entry form - *edit* now available at http://www.britishtennis.net/competitions.html

Sat. 29 Aug by early morning (UK) - qualifiers placed in the draw on the entry form (unless the end of qualifying is delayed by rain) *edit* the fqr was delayed by Tropical Storm Danny but it has now finished and the entry form now has qualifiers placed on it

Mon. 31 Aug 15.00 GMT (4 pm UK / 11 am US Eastern) - entries close

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

The US Open BOTB tends to be the biggest event of the year because there's much more of a peak in the number of US entrants at USO time than there is in the number of GB entrants at Wimby time, so if the 500 entrant limit is ever going to be breached, this will be the time. If it is, then as most of you know, the top 250 in the overall rankings (which will be updated bythe time entries open) will get automatic entry with the rest of the places available on a first-come first-served basis.

If you aren't in the top 250, you certainly won't need to enter before qualifiers are placed in the draw to make sure of getting in, but leaving it until Monday might be risky.

In any case, the main risk of us going over 500 is if Tennisopolis offer another prize to their best entrant and if they do, I will impose a limit on the number of Tennisopolis newbies if necessary in order to stop regular entrants being denied a place by loads of entrants who will probably play once (and if past experience is anything to go by, drive us mad with entry errors) then never play again! *edt* Tennisopolis aren't offering a bribe oops I mean prize this time, so I doubt there'll be so many entrants that we have to close entries for people outside the top 250 early

Alternatively of course, with ATP Bracket Challenge covering the slams as well this year and the US Open site running its own bracket challenge too (talk about overkill!) maybe a lot of potential US entrants will enter those instead. Of course it will be easy enough to enter all three with the same 'research' and the same (or slightly different) picks.

[LadyTigress]

I did my own Pick'em for Cincy whilst you were away. Lol, just for my own entertainment. I did horribly. Had Andy winning the whole thing.

[janeInScotland]

Originally Posted by steven

... Alternatively of course, with ATP Bracket Challenge ... and
the US Open site running its own bracket challenge too ...

I didn't know that the US Open site runs its own bracket challenge - can we have an AM team?

[steven]

Looks like they might have brought the draw forward to 16.00 GMT on Thursday this year, in which case entries might open on Thursday evening. I'm not certain about that though, so I'll leave the timetable as about until it's confirmed.

[hfwardhouse]

I've quite recovered from the disappointment of Montreal -

[Orn]

Thanks Steven. Looking forward to the USO Pickem

[Speedy Hawk]

Last Slam Pick'em of year, exciting and kinda sad too.

[cazza99]

Originally Posted by Speedy Hawk

Last Slam Pick'em of year, exciting and kinda sad too.

By the time it finishes it will be only 4 months away to the Ozzy Open and 2 months away to the Masters Cup

[steven]

Entries for the US Open 2009 'Battle of the Boards' pick 'em contest are now open at http://www.britishtennis.net/competitions.html - just under 70 hours to go, the longest entry period we've ever had for a pick 'em.

Qualifiers/LLs are likely to be placed by Saturday morning unless the qualifying competition overruns.

Who'll be the first to enter? ...

(not that I'm expecting masses of entries in the first 36 hours before Qs are placed!)

Edit: it was Eddie from AM.com at 18.11 BST! My, that was fast!

[LadyTigress]

I'm waiting for the qualies to be drawn.