From the beginning, T2 was revolutionary. This new twist on an old favorite was engineered by Singapore's Asia-Pacific Table Tennis League in 2017. Designed to cater to the notoriously short attention spans of TV and Internet audiences, T2 offered several innovations to maximize the entertainment value of our already riveting sport. First, say goodbye to deuce. At 10-all, the game becomes sudden death. Next, the match is played under a 24-minute clock. If the match is still in progress when it expires, each subsequent game is governed by "FAST5" rules. Under this extreme form of expedite play, each game is suddenly a sudden death race to five points. This new format has already been employed with great success in a series of "T2 Diamond" tournaments, with the world's top players battling under uniquely stressful conditions for unprecedented purses. Then, in the midst of pandemic-paralyzed 2020, T2 offered a glimmer of hope to American table tennis players. Beginning in August at Pleasantville, New York's Westchester Table Tennis Center (WTTC), the "Thursday Night Live T2 Challenge" each week pitted two of the United States' best players in America's first virtual table tennis tournament. At the conclusion of each match, the loser would then pick one player from the following week's tilt as a virtual teammate. Livestreamed on the interwebs, matches were held in New York, Texas and California. Named by their corporate sponsors, Team Butterfly ultimately bested Team Nittaku 6-3. Following this auspicious debut, USA Table Tennis (USATT) and T2 have announced yet another revolutionary twist for the second season. Beginning November 18, a nationwide series of open tournaments will serve as qualifiers for T2, Season 2. A total of seven clubs will offer players berths in the new season, debuting November 30 and culminating in the Finals in Las Vegas, February 16-19. Once again, the WTTC will figure prominently in the action. Will Shortz, the club's owner, says his monthly open tournament will offer extra incentive for the already highly motivated players. "In addition to the usual prizes, the November Little Open next month will be a qualifier for a new national T2 Challenge, with a purse of $27,000," says Shortz. With the doors open for the general public to vie for matchups with professionals, T2 Version 2.0 stays true to the brand's revolutionary ethos. After all, what's a revolution without power to the people?

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