US Open Prediction Game - week 1

I don't know how this will work out, but let's try.

Pick eight lowest ranked underdogs that will advance to round 2.  In each match, I define the "underdog" to be the player with the lower ranking (there will be some strange cases, like Del Potro ranked 142 qualifying as "underdog" against Schwartzman ranked 68, but we will live with that).

After round 1 is completed, I will look at the eight lowest ranked players in the "Underdog" column that advanced to round 2, and you will get a point for each one that you guessed correctly.  I will set up a similar table before round 2 and round 3 (I reserve the right to make minor adjustments to the rules in Rd 2 and Rd 3).  Whoever will have most points after round 3, will win the game.

Remember, you only get to pick eight players from the "underdog" column.

Good luck!

Here is the table:

Underdog	Rank	Opponent (rank)
Harrison C [Q]	688	Mathieu P (69)
McDonald M [WC]	412	Satral J [Q] (227)
Mmoh M [WC]	385	Chardy J (56)
Baker B	312	Delbonis F (43)
Tipsarevic J	254	Querrey S [29] (31)
Benneteau J	251	Ramos-Vinolas A [31] (33)
Giannessi A [Q]	247	Kudla D (128)
Janowicz J	228	Djokovic N [1] (1)
Clezar G [Q]	203	Chiudinelli M [Q] (144)
Escobedo E [WC]	201	Lacko L (100)
Duckworth J [WC]	199	Haase R (64)
Ivashka I [Q]	181	Carreno Busta P (49)
Fucsovics M [Q]	156	Almagro N (46)
Brands D [LL]	152	Zverev A [27] (29)
Myneni S [Q]	143	Vesely J (48)
Del Potro J [WC]	142	Schwartzman D (68)
Andreozzi G [Q]	133	Tsonga J [9] (11)
Zverev M [Q]	126	Herbert P (76)
Kovalik J [LL]	125	Pospisil V (123)
Tiafoe F	124	Isner J [20] (22)
Donaldson J [Q]	122	Goffin D [12] (14)
Harrison R [Q]	118	Mannarino A (55)
Fratangelo B [WC]	116	Pella G (51)
Stepanek R [Q]	114	Simon G [30] (32)
Fabbiano T [Q]	112	Khachanov K [Q] (96)
Dutra Silva R	109	Cilic M [7] (9)
Darcis S [Q]	108	Thompson J (92)
Istomin D	107	Nadal R [4] (5)
Gabashvili T	106	Fognini F (38)
Ram R [WC]	105	Evans D (67)
Albot R	98	Troicki V (35)
Becker B	97	Nishikori K [6] (7)
Monaco J	95	Granollers M (45)
Stakhovsky S	93	Elias G (61)
Bagnis F	90	Baghdatis M (44)
Berankis R	89	Jaziri M (53)
Seppi A	88	Robert S (52)
Brown D	87	Raonic M [5] (6)
Nishioka Y	86	Anderson K [23] (25)
Edmund K	85	Gasquet R [13] (15)
Estrella Burgos V	84	Sousa J (36)
Rosol L	82	Murray A [2] (2)
Millman J	81	Thiem D [8] (10)
Sela D	80	Cuevas P [18] (20)
Donskoy E	79	Johnson S [19] (21)
Struff J	78	Young D (57)
Bedene A	77	Kyrgios N [14] (16)
Berlocq C	75	Lorenzi P (39)
Cervantes I	74	Dimitrov G [22] (24)
Dodig I	73	Marchenko I (65)
Lu Y	72	Karlovic I [21] (23)
Dzumhur D	71	Tomic B [17] (19)
Zeballos H	70	Mayer F (59)
Kukushkin M	66	Pouille L [24] (26)
Youzhny M	63	Klizan M [28] (30)
Bellucci T	62	Kuznetsov A (42)
Lajovic D	60	Paire B [32] (34)
Dolgopolov A	58	Ferrer D [11] (13)
Fritz T	54	Sock J [26] (28)
Garcia-Lopez G	50	Bautista Agut R [15] (17)
Verdasco F	47	Wawrinka S [3] (3)
Mahut N	41	Kohlschreiber P [25] (27)
Coric B	40	Lopez F [16] (18)
Muller G	37	Monfils G [10] (12)

My picks: Benneteau, Clezar, Del Potro, Zverev M, Harrison, Stepanek, Darcis, Stakhovsky

One thing to remember: we are trying to pick the eight players that will become the eight lowest ranked players that advance from the "Underdog" column.

So, if you for example correctly pick Coric to beat Lopez, but there will be eight lower ranked "underdogs" than Coric to advance to Rd 2, you will still not get any points for Coric's win.

I'll give it a go.

McDonald, Clezar, Duckworth, Del Potro, R Harrison, Fratangelo, Stepanek, Fabbiano.

McDonald, Baker, Duckworth, Del Potro, Darcis, Seppi, Dodig, Lu.

Thanks for trying something new

My picks: Benneteau, Giannessi, Clezar, Del Potro, Darcis, Ram, Seppi, Dolgopolov

I haven't checked too closely but I think Edmund is currently the 8th lowest ranked winner, so any higher ranked picks than him are already obsolete with the bottom half to go.

Can't believe both McDonald and Baker lost from 2 sets up!

Del Potro, Dolgopolov, Verdasco, R Harrison, Stepanek, Struff, Tipsarevic, Ram.

I think all of these play on the second day.

Ryan Harrison played yesterday. Christian Harrison hasn't played yet.
I should pick someone else if you see this in time.

This Del Potro chap seems popular.    Is he any good?

McDonald.

I could have sworn I picked Escobedo. Evidently not.

I'll take Brands instead of Ryan Harrison then.

These are the eight lowest ranked "underdogs" that advanced:

Tipsarevic, Giannessi, Escobedo, Duckworth, Del Potro, M Zverev, Donaldson, R Harrison

Some matches are still ongoing but none of them involve players lower ranked than any of the above.

Points after 1st round:

SB, LU - 3 each
BS, YT, G82 - 2 each

(note that in my picks I just said "Harrison", not realizing it could have meant C Harrison who lost.  However, since I ordered my picks in the increasing rank of the player, I hope you will trust me that I did mean Ryan).

In general, more lower ranked players managed to win than we expected.  R Harrison in the above group has rank 118.  That means that a win by anyone ranked higher than that ended up not counting.  Yet, none of us expected the cut-off to be that low-ranked; we all picked some higher ranked players.

Round 2:  Same basic rules.  Except this time pick 6 players instead of 8, and each of us will get 2 points for each correct pick:

Underdog	Rank	Opponent (rank)
Tipsarevic J	254	Carreno Busta P (49)
Giannessi A [Q]	247	Wawrinka S [3] (3)
Satral J [Q]	227	Monfils G [10] (12)
Escobedo E [WC]	201	Edmund K (85)
Duckworth J [WC]	199	Tsonga J [9] (11)
Chiudinelli M [Q]	144	Pouille L [24] (26)
Del Potro J [WC]	142	Johnson S [19] (21)
Zverev M [Q]	126	Sock J [26] (28)
Pospisil V	123	Anderson K [23] (25)
Donaldson J [Q]	122	Troicki V (35)
Harrison R [Q]	118	Raonic M [5] (6)
Darcis S [Q]	108	Isner J [20] (22)
Khachanov K [Q]	96	Nishikori K [6] (7)
Stakhovsky S	93	Cilic M [7] (9)
Berankis R	89	Thiem D [8] (10)
Seppi A	88	Nadal R [4] (5)
Dzumhur D	71	Marchenko I (65)
Zeballos H	70	Kyrgios N [14] (16)
Mathieu P	69	Mahut N (41)
Evans D	67	Zverev A [27] (29)
Youzhny M	63	Pella G (51)
Young D	57	Karlovic I [21] (23)
Chardy J	56	Dimitrov G [22] (24)
Vesely J	48	Djokovic N [1] (1)
Almagro N	46	Cuevas P [18] (20)
Granollers M	45	Murray A [2] (2)
Baghdatis M	44	Paire B [32] (34)
Delbonis F	43	Bautista Agut R [15] (17)
Kuznetsov A	42	Ramos-Vinolas A [31] (33)
Lorenzi P	39	Simon G [30] (32)
Fognini F	38	Ferrer D [11] (13)
Sousa J	36	Lopez F [16] (18)

My picks: Escobedo, Del Potro, Pospisil, Dzumhur, Mathieu, Youzhny

Tipsarevic, Escobedo, Del Potro, Donaldson, Dzumhur, Youzhny

Tipsarevic, Escobedo, Chiundelli, Del Potro, Donaldson, Dzumhur

My strategy in R1 was to avoid picking higher-ranked players as there were so many possibilities. Might have been better to pick the ones who were going to win.

No strategy now. I'm quite a fan of Jared Donaldson so I'm always happy if he wins, he doesn't need any jinxing from me.
Tempting to pick Zeballos, in case Kyrgios gets defaulted or decides he doesn't feel like playing.

Del Potro, Dzumhur, Evans, Youzhny, Young, Chardy.

R2: Del Potro, Darcis, Dzumhur, Youzhny, Young, Kuznetsov

These players counted in Rd2: Del Potro, Donaldson, Harrison, Evans, Youzhny, Almagro

Rd2 points:
LU, BS: 6
SB, YT, G82: 4

Overall points:
LU: 9
BS: 8
SB: 7
YT, G82: 6

Rd 3 is here.  Please pick five players this time, each will earn 3 points (if you do not think there will be 5 underdogs winning, then pick the five most likely ones - no benefit in picking four only).

Fognini/Ferrer is still ongoing, but it is my bedtime soon:

Underdog	Rank	Opponent (rank)
Del Potro J [WC]	142	Fognini F (38)/ Ferrer D [11] (13)
Donaldson J [Q]	122	Karlovic I [21] (23)
Harrison R [Q]	118	Baghdatis M (44)
Edmund K	85	Isner J [20] (22)
Evans D	67	Wawrinka S [3] (3)
Marchenko I	65	Kyrgios N [14] (16)
Youzhny M	63	Djokovic N [1] (1)
Carreno Busta P	49	Thiem D [8] (10)
Almagro N	46	Monfils G [10] (12)
Kuznetsov A	42	Nadal R [4] (5)
Mahut N	41	Nishikori K [6] (7)
Lorenzi P	39	Murray A [2] (2)
Sousa J	36	Dimitrov G [22] (24)
Sock J [26]	28	Cilic M [7] (9)
Pouille L [24]	26	Bautista Agut R [15] (17)
Anderson K [23]	25	Tsonga J [9] (11)

My picks: Del Potro, Harrison, Carreno Busta, Almagro, Sousa

Del Potro, Donaldson, Harrison, Edmund, Sousa.

Good 'eavens, Evans came through!
Wow, Jared! I shall continue to avoid jinxing him.

Having to rely on my phone and probably intermittent Internet for next few days. I'll have to come back to the list, too much scrolling needed.

Del Potro, Harrison, Carreno B, Almagro, Sousa.

Del Potro, Harrison, Sousa, Pouille, Anderson

I should just copy Guest82's really to avoid falling further behind I console myself that if it was WTA, I'd be beating all of you

YvonneT wrote:Del Potro, Harrison, Sousa, Pouille, Anderson

I should just copy Guest82's really to avoid falling further behind I console myself that if it was WTA, I'd be beating all of you  

Long way to go yet....

DP, Harrison, Mahut, Sock, Pouille. I haven't looked at any scores but if any of these have started and you would like me to re-pick let me know!

I would've liked to play a WTA game. So many underdog likelihoods there. Maybe next time.

"I should just copy Guest82's really to avoid falling further behind Crying or Very sad I console myself that if it was WTA, I'd be beating all of you "

I realised this morning my picks this round were the same as SB's, but I had no idea at the time, as on a tiddly phone screen (& on a train) I couldn't see anything other than what I was typing (including the list of players so it was a bit of a memory test).

As you can see, quote function isn't working for me on my phone either. :/

These players counted in Rd3:  Del Potro, Edmund, Marchenko, Sock, Pouille.

Rd3 points:
BS: 9
YT, G82: 6
SB, LU: 3

Overall points:
BS: 17
LU, YT, G82: 12
SB: 10

Overall winner, lapping the field, is BS.  Congrats!

Overall loser, ......, we do not have that category.

ListenUp wrote:my picks this round were the same as SB's

Clearly not very wise from you.

What's more, I chose one too many and had to strike one off.
That was Pouille. Bah!