First I want to thank VVD and Johnny_cz for helping out as admins even more with dm6mania than with ztndm3 showdown I try to do this alone, but you guys are a great help and keep the tourny running smoothly. Which reminds me: yes I gave out a bunch of walkovers in the lower bracket, and yes I got a ton of messages like 5 minutes later of people whining. Look, deadlines are called deadlines for a reason. The show must go on. But if I gave a w.o. in error, you can always contact me VVD or Johnnyboy -- whoever is online, and they will reverse the w.o. like they did in some cases this time I also want to thank Vloody who came out of nowhere and is doing some quality posts.

Now for some taste of my psychic powers: the predixxxions!

ParadokS vs reppie
ParadokS just came off a solid win against ex-clanmate goblin; I honestly thought the scores would be a little closer, more in the 20-10 range. He now faces the flying dutchman as the real true test. Reppie, on the other hand, has already been handily tested, not yet dropping a single map and thus sweeping the likes of sassa, lacsap (who beat para a long time ago in some qhlan) and fix (in an interesting match-up where fix actually played cs for a change (for one map)).

This will be the hardest fought game of the quarterfinals I think -- neither player has lost a single map in the tournament (although reppie has had fewer walkover wins) ParadokS has all the DM6 experience in the world, but reppie will still probably be the favorite here. Whatever happens, it must happen in 3 maps, or it is not official

Gamer vs delitel
Delitel is the lone Russian left in the upper bracket, and he probably deserves it the most because (imho) he is the strongest on DM6 from the motherland. He faces Gamer, and for a lot of people the Finnish frag machine is the number one pick to win the whole tournament. A 1-2 defeat will be an accomplishment already for delitel, no offense. But if delitel truly thinks he is the best, he needs to beat the best and there is no way around that.

This might be delitel's golden opportunity, because Gamer just dropped a map to rising star lakso, and as good as lakso is, I think delitel is better. There might be some vengeance too: Gamer knocked out del's countryman Bulat in three maps, and del in turn destroyed Gamer's good clanmate Eh with a 2-0 victory.

griffin vs fifi
Griffin is an enigma. I didn't actually think he would go for it but, before closing the signups, I went to his channel in IRC and invited him to join. Within minutes he was signed up. (If only I had that power over dag, mua-ha-ha-ha-ha!) Griffin (also a major pick for the tournament winner) has had some good warmup fights in the tournament, but he already dropped a map to the russian dot in the last round. He is facing fifi and I'm sure they know each other well. Fifi has not been resting on his past accomplishments, and has been improving his game (especially his LG and rushing) every year.

Fifi earned his right to face griffin by blowing xpr out of the water in 2 maps, but I think now the roles will be reversed (again no offense...) and griffin will look to win this in 2. But... If dot can do it once... Maybe fifi can double the pleasure, double the fun?

LocKtar vs cage
LocKtar has had been basking in some starlight these past couple of years, getting to some LAN finals and overall being in good QW shape consistently. He used to be a DM2 clown but now he is a mature overall contender (bra bjud) He has dropped two maps, one to SS and one to mushi. Cage on the other hand has dropped a map to Fucu in round 3 but then got his act together and took care of VVD in round 4 without dropping a map. Cage is interesting because he has always been a sneaky dm6 player (everyone seen the demo of him pwning dag right?) but he never really put his pride on the line in a tournament.

If I am not mistaken, this will be Cage's first real test in a tournament ever*. Maybe I shouldn't say this but he recently told me in private how nervous he gets in this tournament, even though in practice games he is solid as a rock. You know what? The same thing I have heard privately from ParadokS, LocKtar, reppie, and anyone else: as long as I get them talking they will tell the truth Again, if this is not three maps, it is not official!

*correction: he did knock out the likes of lbn and insane in the last duelmania, but quit in the quarterfinals. I hope that does not happen this time

glhf gentleboys