The first annual North American Hardbat Championships were held before and during the North American Team Championships at the Baltimore Convention Center, starting on Thanksgiving day. All matches were played on individually barriered, red-floored courts, later reserved for elite competition in the team tournament. This proved to be a smart move on the part of the organizers, for the arena seating drew many spectators oohing and aahing at the intricate rallies of alternating offense and defense. The hardbat "tournament within a tournament" was the largest hardbat event in recent memory. It featured FIVE events (Open, U2000, Open Doubles, U4000 Doubles, and Over 50), with 9 of the top 25 UHRL-rated players in attendance (including the top 3). Most importantly, there were quite a few additions to the list of active hardbatters, some of whom helped to change the face of a tournament already graced by the presence of such luminaries as Hoff, Yip, Hodges, and Reisman.

The U2000 event drew myriad Ty Hoff/Lily Yip wannabees competing in a seldom-offered hard rubber rating event. Semifinals featured Mark Nordby over Simon Brain (14, 14), and impressive newcommer Dan Truong over Dave Abbott (10, 18). The veteran Nordby bested Truong (14,14) in the final, in what may be one of Nordby’s last chances to compete in the minor leagues. U4000 Doubles was also won by Nordby, this time paired with player/photographer John Oros, over the team of Julian Waters and Ray Mack (18, -15, 15).

The Over 50 event signaled the first appearance of Che Him Leung, a relative newbie in the U.S. hardbat orbit. He rolled over Marvin Plevinsky (9, 10) in one semifinal, while 69-year-olds Marty Reisman and Tim Boggan thrilled the crowd with a somewhat more balanced competition in the other. The latter, featuring two hall of fame septuagenarians, pitted Boggan’s step-around forhand kill against Reisman’s change of pace wizardry. The wizard would eventually prevail (-16, 17, 16). In the final, Che Him Leung’s penhold backhand attack proved to be coldly effective against the master, as he won the first game 21-8. In the second, Marty found a way to return the Leung backhand but he finally lost that game as well, 21-19.

Open Doubles featured the first of several upsets as the team of Che Him Leung and female partner Wang Li Jun quickly disposed of the top-seeded team of Hoff and Hodges (15, 19) in the quarterfinals. In the semis, the husband and wife team of Lily Yip and Barry Dattel defeated harbat newcommer Tahl Leibovitz and chopper extraordinaire Steve Berger (13, 18), and the team of Dylan Martis and Ashu Jain edged out Leung/Jun (-25, 12, 21). The final was an enjoyable three-game thriller, with Dattel/Yip over Martis/Jain (22, -18, 12).

Depth of field can often be characterized by counting the number of high-level match-ups in the preliminary rounds of an event. This Hardbat Open Singles field was strong enough to have Berger and Dattel in the same RR group. Hodges, Wang Li Jun, AND Nordby were in another. Reisman, Jain, AND Leung comprised yet another, not to mention additional groups fronted by the likes of Hoff, Yip, and the seldom seen but greatly feared #1 UHRL player, Coach Xin Peng. In addition to his top spot on the hard rubber slate, Augusta-based Peng is soon-to-be the top USATT-rated sponge player over 50 years of age (turning 50 on January 21, 2000), tipping the scales at 2449. In group play, Berger advanced over Dattel, Hodges prevailed over Jun, Jain won over Reisman and Leung, Leibovitz advanced over Boris Rabinovitz, and Robert Mayer got by Philip Lim. Also advancing were U.S. Nationals and U.S. Open Hardbat finalists Lily Yip and Ty Hoff, as well as top-seeded Xin Peng.

In the first quarterfinal, Lily Yip won a hard-fought match against the talented Tahl Leibovitz (9, -22, 13, 19). Tahl’s appearance in this elimination round of Hardbat Open Singles was no doubt the first of many to come. The next quarter began with Steve Berger winning the first game against Xin Peng, 21-14! Steve then payed dearly for his insolence, as penholder Peng swept the remaining games at 5, 10, 11. The third quarter featured a rematch of a ‘99 U.S. Open match between Ty Hoff and Ashu Jain. After Ty won the first at 12, Ashu buckled down, using his wicked serves and breathtaking back-at-the-barriers defense to take the next two at 10 & 19. Ty fought back to take the fourth at 19, but Ashu proved to be the steadier winning the final game 21-15. The defending U.S. Open and U.S. National Hardbat Singles Champ was out! The youthful University of Michigan undergrad took his place in the semifinal birth. The final quarter was a rematch of a recent Spin Open semifinal between Larry Hodges and Robert Mayer (won 19-in-the-third by Hodges). Hodges took the first two games convincingly with his patented forehand hit, 21-17, 21-14. All the while Robert seemed in a daze. With Hodges leading 15-5 in the third, something changed – perhaps Hodges started glancing over at the Hoff/Jain match taking place at the next table? Mayer found his range while Hodges grew increasingly unable to focus. In a remarkable turn-around, Mayer won that game at 19, followed by the next two, 21-16, 21-13. After the match, Robert proclaimed that the tide turned when he "remembered how to hit a forehand."

For his Herculean efforts, Mayer was rewarded with a lesson from Coach Peng in the first semifinal. Peng, like Leung, unleashed penhold backhands even more severe than his excellent penhold forehand to deliver a two-winged (9, 5, 7) beating. In the other semi, Lily Yip fought against Ashu Jain in the most heavily spectated match of the event. Both sides had ample cheering sections. Though there were times when it looked like Ashu might get the better of her, Lily’s speed and focus won, -15, 14, 15, 21. The final was a classic match between two close-to-the-table penhold fast attackers. Similar as they seemed at first, however, the two competitors quickly showed their differences. Xin Peng vs. Lily Yip unfolded as consistency and placement vs. explosive speed. Both started a bit nervous at first, as Peng won the first, 21-18. In the second, Peng used wide angles to dominate the quick exchanges, 21-9. Lily fought hard in the third but to no avail, as the rock-solid #1 seed finished her off 21-16. After this display, it was clear to all present that his top spot on the UHRL list was well deserved.

All told, the Hardbat Championships were a resounding success. New high-level players made their entrance into hardbat competition, old rivals battled it out, and many spectators were introduced to Classic Table Tennis for the first time. During the final, this reporter even saw members of Sichuan 1 (the eventual winners of the North American Teams tournament) in the front row, enjoying the curiosity of a woman and a 50+ year-old man competing with no-sponge rackets. Who knows – maybe this experience will entice one of these young monsters to try their hand at the Hardbat Open next year. Watch out, Coach Peng!

Results:
Open – Final: Xin Peng d. Lily Yip, 19,9,16; SF: Peng d. Robert Mayer, 9,5,7; Yip d. Ashu Jain, -15,14,15,21; QF: Peng d. Steve Berger, -14,5,10,11; Mayer d. Larry Hodges, -17,-14,19,16,13; Yip d. Tahl Leibovitz, 9,-22,13,19; Jain d. Ty Hoff, -12,10,19,-19,15.

Open Doubles – Final: Lily Yip/Barry Dattel d. Ashu Jain/Dylan Martis, 22,-18,12; SF: Yip/Dattel d. Steve Berger/Tahl Leibovitz, 13,18; Martis/Jain d. Leung/Jun, -25,12,21.
Over 50 – Final: Che Him Leung d. Marty Reisman, 8,19; SF: Leung d. Marvin Plevinsky, 9,10; Reisman d. Tim Boggan, -16,17,16.

U2000 – Final: Mark Nordy d. Dan Truong, 14,14; SF: Nordby d. Simon Brain, 14,14; Truong d. Dave Abbott, 10,18.

U4000 Doubles: Mark Nordby/John Oros d. Tim Boggan/Mike Kuklakis, 13,-14,19.