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Fort Lauderdale, Florida • July 3-7, 2002

 

Hardbat Doubles - a Touch of the Past

By Larry Hodges, 1999-2002 U.S. Open Hardbat Doubles Champion

With the sight of of arcing topspin balls in the background and the scent of glue in the background, what could be more out of place than a hardbat doubles match, i.e. a match played with no sponge?!!! But for a short time, hardbat took center stage at the U.S. Open (although not in the ITTF Pro Tour, held in a separate hall), where four players mixed in topspin drives and a think called "backspin," and older players dabbed softly at damp eyes. 

In the semifinals, Larry Hodges (this writer), an all-out hitter who sometimes chops, teamed up with chopper Steve Berger (who sometimes hits) against Bruce Liu and Al Papp. It seemed a mismatch, with Hodges/Berger winning the first at 5. That is, 21-5, since hardbat is played with the old rules, games to 21, alternating serves every 5 points. (How strange that now seems!)  In the second, however, "Pappy" and Liu got hot, and went up 18-10 as Hodges/Berger tried to get their hitting/chopping signals straight. Hodges/Berger pulled it out, 26-24 to advance to the final. In the other semifinals, Tahl Leibovitz - who came within one match of making the U.S. National Team last year - teamed up with John Jarema and romped through their semifinal match over Berdnt Mann and Robert Burke, 13 & 15.

In the final, Hodges/Berger - the current U.S. National Hardbat Doubles Champions - ran away with the first, 21-10, with Leibovitz ripping Berger's disguised no-spin chops all over the place, but not enough on the table. But in the second, Jarema focused on angling shots to stop Hodges' forehand, forcing him to use his much weaker backhand. Leibovitz, meanwhile, was starting to make shots, and the two led 20-18 game point. Two Hodges smashes later, and it was 20-20. Two Hodges missed smashes later, it was 22-20 for Leibovitz/Jarema. In the last game, however, Hodges/Berger took a huge early lead, leading 10-3 at the switch. Leibovitz/Jarema gradually pulled back, and pulled to within two, 16-14. But Hodges/Berger pulled away, winning the match at 10,-20,16.

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