2009 NBL Pro Classic
Front row: Anna Rice, Eva Lee, Johanna Lee, Charmaine Reid, Nicole Grether, Mona Santoso, Grace Peng. 
Back row: Tony Gunawan, Andrew Dabeka, Richard Vaughan, Kyle Foley, Halim Haryanto Ho, Taufik Hidayat, Chandra Kowi, Howard Bach
(Photo courtesy of Roy Huang)

The NBL Pro Classic featured two star-studded teams that included two Olympic gold medalists, four World Champions, national champions and medal winners from major international competitions:

The NBL format features a minimum of nine games: two games each in men's doubles, men's singles, women's doubles, women's singles, and at least one game in mixed doubles.  Each game won is a point in a team's total score.  After nine games are played, if the trailing team won the mixed doubles, the match enters Overtime.  In Overtime, additional mixed doubles games are played until the trailing team ties the score, or the leading team wins one game.  If the leading team wins a game before the score is tied, the match is over.  If the trailing team can tie the score without losing a game, a nine-point Tiebreak decides the match.

All games (with the exception of the Tiebreak) are first to 17 points.  If a game reaches 16-16, the next point ends the game.  Players take turns serving four points. Substitutions are allowed at any time, and coaching is permitted during the games.  The home team decides the order of events within the pattern of doubles, singles, doubles, singles, etc, with mixed doubles played last.  There is a 12-minute intermission after the fifth game.

In the NBL Pro Classic, Mona Santoso and Grace Peng of the Defenders started off with a 17-13 win over Chamaine Reid and Johanna Lee.  The Smashers bounced back to win the next four games, with Nicole Grether beating Anna Rice (17-15), Richard Vaughan/Tony Gunawan edging Halim Haryanto Ho/Chandra Kowi (17-15), Taufik Hidayat defeating Andrew Dabeka (17-14), and Charmaine Reid/Nicole Grether beating Mona Santoso/Anna Rice (17-15).  At the half-time, the Smashers held a commanding 4-1 lead.

After the half-time, the Smashers extended their lead to 6-1 with Kyle Foley defeating Andrew Dabeka (17-15) and Taufik Hidayat/Tony Gunawan beating Howard Bach/Halim Haryanto Ho (17-14).  Eva Lee helped to get the Defenders back on track with a 17-15 win over Johanna Lee.  Going into the mixed doubles, the Defenders needed to win in order to send the match into Overtime.  Chandra Kowi and Grace Peng were up to the challenge, defeating Richard Vaughan and Johanna Lee (17-16).  With the Smashers leading 6-3, the Defenders needed to win three consecutive mixed doubles games to stay in the match and force a Tiebreak.  If the Smashers won one game before the Defenders tied the score, the match would be over.  The Smashers kept their same mixed doubles combination of Richard Vaughan and Johanna Lee, and the Defenders put in Eva Lee to partner Chandra Kowi.  The teams battled to 16-16 - game point for both sides - and Vaughan/Lee won the final point of the game. Final score: Smashers 7, Defenders 3.

The NBL Pro Classic was a preview of the format that will be used in the NBL Professional League, which will debut in the summer of 2010 with teams in four to eight US and Canadian cities.

Check back soon for video that will feature match highlights and player interviews!

Team introductions, with Tony Gunawan and Nicole Grether at far left	Smashers: Charmaine Reid, Johanna Lee, Kyle Foley, Taufik Hidayat, Richard Vaughan	Kyle Foley, Richard Vaughan and Taufik Hidayat wait for the Defenders to be introduced, with Mona Santoso and Andrew Dabeka seated
Andrew Dabeka	Anna Rice	Taufik Hidayat
Nicole Grether	Richard Vaughan and Johanna Lee (right) congratulate Chandra Kowi and Grace Peng	Grace Peng
Halim Haryanto Ho	Eva Lee	Howard Bach

All photos courtesy of Roy Huang