So IF the bracket was to proceed as predicted, this is what I would have to say about a handful of key matches and players:

Locust vs everyone
Quite frankly, I don't think anyone or anything can stop this guy. Unfortunately for us spectators, Reppie and Milton decided not to go through the hassle of playing a tournament. Personally, I always find it a little boring to have players that aren't really "present" in the QuakeWorld scene win stuff, but let's face it: Locust is (along with the two above mentioned players) the best we currently have. Locust has the patience and necessary must-win attitude to win slow, sneaky games, but can also hover through the maps with ease and graze off all spawns with impecable speed. During all this, he has an amazing aim that he can always rely on. If you ask me, there's no stopping this monster.

Bulat vs hlt
While hlt might be the better player in theory, I don't think he will manage to win this one. Perhaps I'm wrong, but hlt doesn't seem to be doing much aside from the occasional 2on2 and the official games with his comrades from Clan MalFunction. And I don't think the lack of practice and enthusiasm will be enough versus the seemingly always-dueling Tatar and ztndm3-death-machine.

LocKtar vs Kingpin
I believe LocKtar should be having a hard time vs Kingpin. Overall, I'm pretty certain that LocKtar is the better dueler, but let's not forget that Kingpin is the one-map-wonder and one of the best Aerowalk players of the QuakeWorld scene. So with Kingpin winning Aerowalk, LocKtar will have to win both other maps. And since Kingpin will also be allowed to drop one map in the decider, this will by no means be easy an task. Throughout the last year or two, LocKtar seems to have changed his playing style from "no bunny, no funny" to something a little more serious, so if all goes well, I'm guessing he will win. But depending on the decider and Kingpin's undebatable spawn-luck (chooo-choooooo, the Whine-Train arriving on platform 6), this might also turn the other way. Beware, Locke!

Murdoc / Avenger vs bps
Now this is something I am very uncertain about. Avenger has proven in the past that he is one of the best duelers in the scene, but what has the guy been doing for the last years? Certainly not playing QW - we would have noticed. Only recently having returned to the QW scene, Avenger will have to get into a decent shape before facing the Dutch Megatron, because being rusty won't be enough. The outcome of this game will also heavily depend on how motivated and ambitious Murdoc will be. Those that have spectated him in a 4on4 game will have seen what a great player he is - and I firmly believe that the only reason Murdoc has never been a big duel star is because he simply never cared about duel in general.
So, in a nutshell: If Avenger manages to shape up before the big game, he will win it. If not, he won't. And if both Murdoc AND Avenger shape up and take it seriously, this might turn into a real thriller.
Whoever wins this will then most likely face bps and be confronted with the same problem over again. Neither "Rusty Avenger, nor "Unambitious Duel-Murdoc" will be able to make it past the Swede. And one of their biggest problems will be that their best maps are also bps' best maps. As far as I know, Avenger's home map is dm4 and Murdoc's home map is Aerowalk. Well... do the math! But all in all, if I had to bet money, I'd put it on Avenger because - despite rustyness - he always managed to get far in duel tournaments and will probably have shaped up by then.


We are aware that this prediction and graphical illustration disregards the fact that there is a Loser's Bracket, but let's not make it overly complicated.

Feedback, your own predictions, opinions, drama and flame are all welcome as usual!

Links:
Ownage #2

Ownage #1 (2007) @ QuakeWorld Wiki
Locust @ QuakeWorld Wiki
Bulat @ QuakeWorld Wiki
hlt @ QuakeWorld Wiki
LocKtar @ QuakeWorld Wiki
Kingpin @ QuakeWorld Wiki
Murdoc @ QuakeWorld Wiki
Avenger @ QuakeWorld Wiki
bps @ QuakeWorld Wiki