Wanderer

Happy belated birthday, Agger! And happy birthday heywoodu too :

Prediction Contests Are Just-For-Fun Games You don't need to be an expert to take part in a Prediction Contest. If a mistake penalizes you, always keep in mind that everyone is in good faith. Women's Basketball FIBA World Cup 2018 Prediction Contest is now OPEN Good luck!

You MUST hide your post. To do that, you have only to delete the space between the bracket "[" and the text "hide" in "[ hide]" at the beginning of prediction post. Do the same at the end of prediction post with "[ /hide]" too. PREDICTION DESIGN - START COPYING HERE ---> [ hide] Preliminary Round September 22nd - September 25th, 2018 16 Nations, 4 Groups, the 1st Nation from each Group will qualify for the Quarterfinals, the 2nd and the 3rd Nations from each Group will qualify for Quarterfinals Play-Offs Group A Date & Time (GMT +1) Nation 1 T1 T2 Nation 2 September 22nd 2018, h. 13:30 South Korea France September 22nd 2018, h. 17:30 Greece Canada September 23rd 2018, h. 11:30 Canada South Korea September 23rd 2018, h. 17:30 France Greece September 25th 2018, h. 13:30 South Korea Greece September 25th 2018, h. 20:30 Canada France Group B Date & Time (GMT +1) Nation 1 T1 T2 Nation 2 September 22nd 2018, h. 11:30 Australia Nigeria September 22nd 2018, h. 14:00 Turkey Argentina September 23rd 2018, h. 11:00 Argentina Australia September 23rd 2018, h. 20:30 Nigeria Turkey September 25th 2018, h. 11:30 Australia Turkey September 25th 2018, h. 17:30 Argentina Nigeria Group C Date & Time (GMT +1) Nation 1 T1 T2 Nation 2 September 22nd 2018, h. 20:00 Japan Spain September 22nd 2018, h. 20:30 Puerto Rico Belgium September 23rd 2018, h. 13:30 Belgium Japan September 23rd 2018, h. 20:00 Spain Puerto Rico September 25th 2018, h. 11:00 Japan Puerto Rico September 25th 2018, h. 20:00 Belgium Spain Group D Date & Time (GMT +1) Nation 1 T1 T2 Nation 2 September 22nd 2018, h. 11:00 Latvia China September 22nd 2018, h. 18:00 United States Senegal September 23rd 2018, h. 14:00 Senegal Latvia September 23rd 2018, h. 18:00 China United States September 25th 2018, h. 14:00 Senegal China September 25th 2018, h. 18:00 Latvia United States [ /hide] ---> PREDICTION DESIGN - STOP COPYING HERE

Ostapenko winning on clay was actually surprising, especially after she told she doesn't like to play on clay. But again, Sharapova called herself "cow on ice" and won two RG titles

Our entries are always fabulous Great to see US Jury got another member. I must check what are Olympian's preferences

We are negotiating the terms of conditions for NZ participation. Rumour has it NZ is willing to participate ONLY if USA gives the points to NZ entry for the first time ever. I have inside information that NZ set a bar for double digit points, but USA is not willing to give more than 5. In my opinion NZ delegation knows how to bargain, hopefully we'll find somewhere in the middle But I am not sure if the agreement is going to be set yet.

Provisional Standing after Day 1 available here

Provisional Standing after Day 1 Rank User Nat. Total 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 TB 1 ady48 8 8 1 africaboy 8 8 1 Dunadan 8 8 1 Henry_Leon 8 8 1 heywoodu 8 8 1 LDOG 8 8 1 suchyy7 8 8 1 thepharoah 8 8 1 titicow 8 8 1 wumo26 8 8 11 Akin Baddy 6 6 11 amen09 6 6 11 bestmen 6 6 11 chrischi08 6 6 11 CiroMennella99 6 6 11 crovitlaci 6 6 11 dcro 6 6 11 FC Mezhgorye 6 6 11 Federer91 6 6 11 Giovanni Gianni Cattaneo 6 6 11 hckosice 6 6 11 Herberth Nelson Balbi Silveira 6 6 11 intoronto 6 6 11 Monzanator 6 6 11 NikolaB 6 6 11 Olympian1010 6 6 11 Pablita 6 6 11 rybak 6 6 11 Speedy 6 6 30 SteveParker 6 6 11 Ufilov 6 6 11 vinipereira 6 6 11 vlad 6 6 11 Wanderer 6 6 35 AlFHg 4 4 35 CCB 4 4 35 Dolby 4 4 35 George_D 4 4 35 Gianlu33 4 4 35 hoversaBR 4 4 35 juliosilva 4 4 35 kacz187 4 4 35 mihamiha 4 4 35 paradajz 4 4 35 Vojthas 4 4 01: September 9th - First Round 02: September 12th - First Round 03: September 13th - First Round 04: September 14th - First Round 05: September 15th - First Round 06: September 16th - First Round 07: September 17th - First Round 08: September 18th - First Round 09: September 21st - Second Round 10: September 22nd - Second Round 11: September 23rd - Second Round 12: September 26th - Third Round 13: September 27th - Third Round 14: September 28th - Third Round 15: September 29th - Semifinals 16: September 30th - Medal Matches Mistakes are always possible. PM me if you notice any.

There's a difference with inevitable mistake and random mistake Most us expected that one day the starts will align and Woz is gonna win a Slam Her consistency was the key. But again - Bartoli and Wimbledon (already one final in 2007) and Pennetta at US Open (regular quarterfinalist) were surprising winners but when you look more carefully - they somehow always were next in line at those events. Hsieh played sooo good in that match, you cannot blame Kerber for being dragged in a long match. And honestly, with 2017 she had, she needed that run in Sydney which even might have surprised her.

I really, really hope they will never ever change best of 5! I am actually not worried for Zverev. He is just too good not to have one.

Wozniacki was not a surprise, she was that inevitable mistake that happens during a process I blame Fett!

I like Auger-Aliassime's game, what a talent. But it appears that he's often injured and now this retirement because of heart problems is really worrying.

After AO I still had some hopes, but IW and Miami where the ones I thought - okay, this guy is done. And then, miracle (Vajda) happens. Od Vajde uvek vajde

This is the first slam Novak won without playing anyone from "Big 4"

Sampras tied One more, just to cement The Big 3

Well, we definitely should talk more about Osaka. I do expect her to have poor results during Asian swing, but it is not necessary. Also, I think she is not that kind of player that is gonna disappear are all other "surprising" winners. She's not gonna have Halep's consistency but she will be there, most likely with better overall post-Slam year than Ostapenko.

I am not sad for Serena. She's a good actress as well

New York crowd definitely the worst. Parisians are the second.

OSAKAAAAA

C'mon Naomi, serve it out

Really disappointed with Serena's behaviour

It is really, really rear that I found myself enjoying Wozniacki's matches. Somehow it is not it (for me, of course). Though, I have to agree in last 2-3 years she tried to change her game, became more adventurous on court but still, never was fond of her tennis

The quality of tennis usually in first place unless a player I really don't like wins There are no too many of them (on men's side Carreno Busta, Querrey, Monfils and to some extent Isner; on women's side Wozniacki and Pliskova, to some extent Svitolina)

Then Delpo better win in 2019, it will be more epic I think match is 50-50, or 51-49 for Novak. Definitely won't finish in three sets only. Delpo is not kind of player that is nervous, and he is such a fighter, it will be interesting.