by
Oploskoffie A warm welcome to The Meltdown Lounge!
We have multiple big screens to keep an eye on your picks' exploits and a punching bag in the far right corner just in case they end up doing really, really well
by ponchi101 Ah, the place to celebrate when those players about to exit the top 100 realize "Hey, I need the money!" and start winning a bunch of odd tournaments.
I put Madison in my team. Let's watch her realize "I have 2000 points to defend next January so I better remember how to play RIGHT NOW!"
by
Oploskoffie Also, embracing the opportunity to jinx more than one of us, popular pick Kenin is 1-5 down in the first set and as such is "doing well"
by ptmcmahon Into the third now…well jinxed!
by
ponchi101 Well jinxed. She snatches defeat from the jaws of victory (from our perspective). Ah, we were so arrogant.
Now watch her reach the final
by
ptmcmahon Is this what you meant by fail forward slowly Oploskoffie
by
Oploskoffie ptmcmahon wrote: ↑Mon Sep 15, 2025 1:33 pm
Is this what you meant by fail forward slowly Oploskoffie
Well, I mean... If I (read: we
) accept this failure as an inevitable part of the journey to success, extract lessons from the experience, and apply those lessons to future efforts to make better decisions and achieve better outcomes then as a contestant, hopefully, yes. Alas, all this was the player's task and by winning, Kenin is perhaps ahead of the desired curve
by ponchi101 You have such a poetic way of talking... I am sure there is an emoji for that.
The worst thing is that I don't like Kenin. Will never forgive her for beating Garby at that Aussie open.
by
Oploskoffie ponchi101 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 15, 2025 3:58 pm
You have such a poetic way of talking... I am sure there is an emoji for that.
The worst thing is that I don't like Kenin. Will never forgive her for beating Garby at that Aussie open.
While I normally write my own music and lyrics, so to say, my previous post owes about half of it to some corporate training company's website - with some minor adjustments
Poor Sofia, though. Hasn't she had it rough enough these past, say, four-and-a-bit years?
by ptmcmahon Looks like popular wild card pick Zhu withdrew.
And a D player Lucky Loser (Zakharova) is in. That could truly make her the biggest loser this week!
by
Oploskoffie ptmcmahon wrote: ↑Tue Sep 16, 2025 1:11 pm
And a D player Lucky Loser (Zakharova) is in. That could truly make her the biggest loser this week!
Completely agree, especially after she was sent packing by Cirstea in just over an hour
Meanwhile, Kenin in trouble again!
- edit -
Annnnnd she's out! 45 points for everyone
by ptmcmahon Should almost be bonus points if you make it in as a Lucky Loser!
Speaking of lucky, week 1 should be pretty good for me as I was lucky and instead chose Back as my WC instead of Zhu. I'm a lucky loser too!
by texasniteowl ok, ok....not too bad so far...I'm one of the ones who did not have Zhu, my WC was Fruhvirtova who lost! Yay!
12 player team; only 10 playing this week...3 first round losers (Maria, McNally, Fruhvirtova) and one second round loser (Kenin). 6 still alive. I'll take it!
by
Oploskoffie ptmcmahon wrote: ↑Wed Sep 17, 2025 1:54 pm
Should almost be bonus points if you make it in as a Lucky Loser!
Speaking of lucky, week 1 should be pretty good for me as I was lucky and instead chose Back as my WC instead of Zhu. I'm a lucky loser too!
Almost, indeed
And both your and texasniteowl's first tournament is going pretty well thus far
by
Oploskoffie And we have our second overachiever: Lamens (cat. C, picked twice) takes out Shnaider (cat. B, not picked by anyone).
Popular pick BHM has delivered
Kasatkina (picked twice) out as well.
by
ptmcmahon I would like to take full credit for BHM. I went full contest schzio and put her to win the final in predictions contest
(yes, intentionally for this purpose.)
Kasatkina was a possibly important swing match, me and and Jeff both have Siniakova. Stupid D players making quarters
Alexandrova did her best today too and lost a set for us...but couldn't finish out the loss.
Zhu got a WC Into Beijing - so she may not have gotten week 1 points, but looks like she at least saved her owners a trade.
by texasniteowl Ok...10 out of 12 started and 7 are dead! only 3 left alive for me (Tauson, Alexandrova, Lamens). Time to start looking if I need to make any trades for next week!
by ptmcmahon Raducanu did her part today - up a set and 5-4, lost the second set in a tiebreaker and went down in 3.
by
Oploskoffie Double reminder:
1: The first week's scores are online!
You can find them here:
viewtopic.php?t=2900
2: The trade deadline is 11 AM Wednesday, Beijing time! Want to make one or more changes? Then use this thread:
viewtopic.php?t=2896
by ptmcmahon Zhu least valuable player so far? WD last week and today she won 6-1 6-3. Surely she can't get by Andreeva right?
by ponchi101 I have her in my team. Watch her reach the final. And take a set.
by
Oploskoffie Interesting round so far, with week 1 leader ptmcmahon getting in five first round losses
with three other contestants scoring a welcome four! Zhu, indeed, the LVP thus far, though she retains her status as the
most influential player on this contest's rankings
by ptmcmahon Yeah, not having Zhu has maybe been my best move so far!
by texasniteowl dang. I'm feeling bad. I think I only have 3 first round losers this week. boo.
by
Oploskoffie texasniteowl wrote: ↑Thu Sep 25, 2025 6:55 pm
dang. I'm feeling bad. I think I only have 3 first round losers this week. boo.
While 3 first round losses isn't ideal, one of us is currently still waiting for a first loss
1/12 part of that blame goes to Kenin because of her easy win over Kudermetova.
And now Kessler has taken out Mertens, so that doesn't help certain people either!
by ponchi101 How on Earth did I go out on 1R at the USO SP? I can't pick a loser. Not ONE!!!!
by
texasniteowl Oploskoffie wrote: ↑Fri Sep 26, 2025 7:26 am
While 3 first round losses isn't ideal, one of us is currently still waiting for a first loss
1/12 part of that blame goes to Kenin because of her easy win over Kudermetova.
And now Kessler has taken out Mertens, so that doesn't help certain people either!
in the meantime, in addition to 3 r1 losses, I currently have 3 r2 losses. so yay?
and I'm with you at least that Kenin is not one of them.
by texasniteowl well, with 2nd round complete...not bad...could be better...but not bad...at least til I see how everyone else has done!
12 players...1 not playing (but wasn't worth a trade)...so 11 active
3 round 1 losers
6 round 2 losers
2..."winners" now into round 3 (Kenin & Raducanu)
by
Oploskoffie So, with the round of 64 over, here are a few details of how we are doing...
Of the 40+ players selected, 9 are currently still active, with Raducanu and Kenin the two nearly everyone is hoping will have a bad day a.s.a.p..
Prior to the tournament 2 scores checks and results still to come, 5 contestants have either gone up or down the rankings, with Boisson, Kessler and Joint three of the main reasons for headaches.
Depending on the chosen perspective, ponchi is either having a really, really unfortunate tournament, or a fantastic albeit rather early pre-2026 AO SP practice competition
by
ponchi101 Oploskoffie wrote: ↑Sat Sep 27, 2025 5:13 pm
Depending on the chosen perspective, ponchi is either having a really, really unfortunate tournament, or a fantastic albeit rather early pre-2026 AO SP practice competition
I will crash and burn again at the Aussie, despite picking a top 10 player in the first round.
Watch me...
by ptmcmahon Special shout out to my 0-3 A team!
by
Jeff from TX Good job!
ptmcmahon wrote: ↑Sun Sep 28, 2025 5:00 pm
Special shout out to my 0-3 A team!
by
texasniteowl ptmcmahon wrote: ↑Sun Sep 28, 2025 5:00 pm
Special shout out to my 0-3 A team!
nice!
by ptmcmahon More humble brag. I can't contest schzio predictions this week as my team is all out.
by
Oploskoffie ptmcmahon wrote: ↑Mon Sep 29, 2025 1:08 pm
More humble brag. I can't contest schzio predictions this week as my team is all out.
Four of us have "nothing left to do" at this point. Though we can always cheer on Jeff and ponchi; one will be rooting for Lys, the other for Kessler
by ptmcmahon That's always the weirdest part of the contest. It's very front loaded - in terms of the important matches. Sometimes qualifying is more important than the tournament when you're actually cheering for player to win a couple of matches.
by
Oploskoffie ptmcmahon wrote: ↑Mon Sep 29, 2025 2:48 pm
That's always the weirdest part of the contest. It's very front loaded - in terms of the important matches. Sometimes qualifying is more important than the tournament when you're actually cheering for player to win a couple of matches.
Agreed! And currently, with Beijing being the only tournament with a 100 points bonus for first round losses, it seems slightly cruel as well if you have a somewhat different team - this year saw many of the same players selected for the initial team - and your selection of players do better than expected. That said, after this one, there's still 8 (!) tournaments to go, and a
lot of chances for the category C and (especially) D picks to shine. I'm looking forward to seeing how many different wild card trades will be made
I'd also like to add that while you are doing rather well out in front
the differences between the casing pack are currently mostly between one and two first round losses - it could still end up being a close competition. No comment on the difference between you and second place just yet
by
Oploskoffie Well done tenedab and Omegadoom for getting 25 points from Iga!
by
ptmcmahon Oh good, two of my D players are in qualifying... let's see who they play..
(7)Katerina Siniakova vs Caty McNally
What are the odds!
by
Oploskoffie ptmcmahon wrote: ↑Sat Oct 04, 2025 1:05 am
Oh good, two of my D players are in qualifying... let's see who they play..
(7)Katerina Siniakova vs Caty McNally
What are the odds!
Higher than preferable, probably
And McNally is out!
Amongst the other qualifying "victims" were current picks Parks, Lamens, Cocciaretto, Starodubtseva and Tomljanovic. Reasons to trade, or reasons to sit this one out and wait for the second half of this contest with at least two 250/500 tournaments per week?
by
texasniteowl Oploskoffie wrote: ↑Sat Oct 04, 2025 2:15 pm
Reasons to trade, or reasons to sit this one out and wait for the second half of this contest with at least two 250/500 tournaments per week?
and with only 5 total trades for this contest! can't use them all to early! (Which is why Keys is still on my team. Put her on and then she has withdrawn from Beijing and Wuhan...but using a trade in the A category when those players will usually go farther in a draw than a C or D player has kept me from using a trade to ditch Keys!)
by ptmcmahon 8-2 first round, including 2-0 D team... I may have used up all my luck already (fortunately it gave me a nice cushion.)
by ptmcmahon Predictions contest schizo going well again. Alexandrova, Tauson, Frech all down!
Unfortuantely my 2 D players didnt get the memo, they're all I have left. Including Siniakova who won again today, and my wild card who hasn't played but has already gotten way less points than she was supposed to.
by
Oploskoffie ptmcmahon wrote: ↑Tue Oct 07, 2025 12:35 pm
8-2 first round, including 2-0 D team... I may have used up all my luck already (fortunately it gave me a nice cushion.)
Beware
The Doom is all I'll say for now...
by
ptmcmahon My turn this week for my WC player to WD.
by
texasniteowl I was excited that Tauson and Kenin both lost first round.
But then I realized that ALL of us have them on our teams.
by
ptmcmahon Be excited we were all smart enough to pick them then
by
Oploskoffie Indeed, players like Tauson, Kenin and Raducanu were a big part of the reason the initial teams had one of the lowest levels of variety (38 different players picked) I can remember for a fantasy competition
After three rounds of trades, that number has gone up to 50, though. Unsurprisingly, also the most wild cards ever at six; I may yet have to add more lines to my scoring sheet in that category, which is currently set up for a maximum of 10.
by
ptmcmahon Is that including my newest trade? If not we're at 7
by
Oploskoffie ptmcmahon wrote: ↑Thu Oct 16, 2025 8:53 pm
Is that including my newest trade? If not we're at 7
7 it is
*Adds five lines of WC section to sheet...
by texasniteowl ugh. too many players shutting things down for the season and not enough trades to cover them!
by ptmcmahon I was expecting 7-8 this week, right now I think I'm down to 3 players.
Most annoying is Hong Kong where Cristan, added in last trade, has withdrawn and Cirstea, dropped in last trade, has taken a Wild card.
by
Oploskoffie ptmcmahon wrote: ↑Sat Oct 25, 2025 11:21 am
Most annoying is Hong Kong where Cristan, added in last trade, has withdrawn and Cirstea, dropped in last trade, has taken a Wild card.
Yeah, things like that really are irritating
There's been a few little surprises like that elsewhere as well, like someone trading in Jovic and then the tournament starts and she's out of the draw completely and on her Instagram it's like "It's been a fun swing but I'm going home, byyyyyeeee..."
by
texasniteowl ptmcmahon wrote: ↑Sat Oct 25, 2025 11:21 am
I was expecting 7-8 this week, right now I think I'm down to 3 players.
Most annoying is ... and Cirstea, dropped in last trade, has taken a Wild card.
yep on this one.
I dropped her last week too.
by ptmcmahon Yikes, down to two players now next week (and I'm out of trades.)
by ptmcmahon And funny enough my last remaining player is a Wild Card.
She's against a #1 seed (Bencic) - surely she'll lose ... right?
by
Oploskoffie I refuse to reply to the above fearing it may turn out to be a jinx and held against me
by ptmcmahon But you just did reply! I have my scapegoat!
by
Oploskoffie Well....
Maaaaaaa to that
Meanwhile, I believe the title of MVL has been decided! Based on the highest potential amount of points earned from the moment of selection, with 355, it is Moyuka Uchiyama. She was on my initial team and is the only reason I'm currently not in the bottom 2 in the rankings
