The APP Tour is back in its hometown of Chicago, and we’re starting the week with the return of a very special event. Kicking off a week of action leading up to the 2026 APP Vlasic Classic Chicago Benefiting Shriners Children’s™, the world’s best pro players will put on a show at the 2026 Shriners Children’s™ APP Pro Invitational Chicago on August 6 - and you won’t want to miss it.

How Does It Work?

• Eight teams will each compete in mixed doubles, with two pools of four teams.

• The competition will be made up of Pool Play followed by a final Championship Match.

Pool Play:

• Each team will compete against the other teams in their pools, resulting in 12 matches total.

• Every match will take place on Championship Court.

• Pool play will consist of eight (8) minutes of play with side-out scoring.

• The first team to nine (9) points will win the match for that round.

• If time expires before a team gets to 9, the team in the lead will win the match.

• If the score is tied when time expires, there will be a sudden death “Golden Rally”, where the team to win the next rally will win the match.

Following pool play, the teams with the best record in each pool will face off in the Championship Match.

• Advancement criteria:

1. Match Record

2. Head-to-Head

3. Point Differential

Championship Match:

• The Championship Match will consist of one game to 15 points with side-out scoring, or 12 minutes, whichever comes first.

• At the end, we’ll crown our mixed doubles champions!

Every Rally Counts!
In proud support of Shriners Children’s, the APP will donate $100 for every point scored throughout the event. This means every rally counts, no matter the score, as we fundraise for an amazing cause!

To add to the excitement, multiple Competitive Edges will be introduced to play.

Wait, Competitive Edges?

• Yes, there will be four Competitive Edges to take the competition to the next level:
  

Five-Second Service Clock:

• Players will only have five seconds to serve the ball once the referee calls the score – this is half the time allowed in traditional matches. Time is of the essence!

No Timeouts Allowed:

• This keeps all matches fast-paced and high-stakes!

No End Changes:

• Players must strategically choose their option (first serve, receive, end or defer) understanding that the whole match is played on one end of the court.
  

Power Play Tokens:

Each team will be given one (1) Power Play Token per match. Using the Power Play Token will double (2x) the result of the ensuing rally if it’s won by the challenging team. Examples are below:

• If the serving team uses their Power Play Token and wins the rally, they receive two points. (I.e., serves at a score of 5-4-2 and wins the rally --> The score is now 7-4-2.)

• If the serving team uses their Power Play Token and loses the rally, a single side-out will occur. (I.e., serves at a score of 7-4-2 and loses the rally --> The score is now 4-7-1.)

• If the receiving team uses their Power Play Token and wins the rally, they force the 2^nd serve on the serving team, and then a side-out.  (I.e., receives at a score of 3-8-1 and wins the rally --> The result is 2^nd serve for current rally and side-out for next rally, and the score is now 8-3-1. I.e., receives at a score of 3-8-2 and wins the rally --> The result is side-out for the current rally, PLUS 1 point and the score is now 9-3-1.)

• If the receiving team uses their Power Play Token and loses the rally, the serving team will score a point. (I.e., receive a score of 7-8-2 and loses the rally --> The score is now 8-8-2.)

• A Power Play Token can NOT be used to end the game. (I.e., a serving team cannot use the Power Play Token at a score of 7-5-1.)

Sounds Awesome. Who Will Be Competing?

The eight mixed doubles pairings are as follows:

Pool 1

• Katerina Stewart & Ronan Camron

• Jill Braverman & Richard Livornese, Jr.

• Amanda Hendry & Quang Duong

• Bobbi Oshiro & Randy Blanco

Pool 2

• Roos Van Reek & Jack Munro

• Christine Maddox & Max Manthou

• Megan Fudge & Aidan Schenk

• Susannah Barr & Brandon Lane

We want to hear from you, the fans, with a special fan vote to predict our winner, and a team who will make an unexpected run!

Tell Me More About This Fan Vote!

• Who will come out on top? Who will be the dark horse?

• Voting is now live via TheAPP.global/Vote

• Fans can vote once per day

• Voting closes in the evening on Tuesday, August 4.

How Can I Watch?

• Fans can watch all the action from the 2026 Shriners Children’s™ APP Pro Invitational Chicago for free on APPTV on YouTube on Thursday, August 6 from 8-10 pm ET.

• Don’t forget to follow along on the APP’s social media channels on Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and Facebook.      

What Matchups Will We See?

• Match 1: Braverman/Livornese vs Stewart/Camron

• Match 2: Manthou/Maddox vs Fudge/Schenk

• Match 3: Blanco/Oshiro vs Hendry/Duong

• Match 4: Munro/Van Reek vs Lane/Barr

• Match 5: Hendry/Duong vs Braverman/Livornese

• Match 6: Lane/Barr vs Manthou/Maddox

• Match 7: Stewart/Camron vs Blanco/Oshiro

• Match 8: Fudge/Schenk vs Munro/Van Reek

• Match 9: Hendry/Duong vs Stewart/Camron

• Match 10: Lane/Barr vs Fudge/Schenk

• Match 11: Braverman/Livornese vs Blanco/Oshiro

• Match 12: Manthou/Maddox vs Munro/Van Reek

• Final Match: Pool 1 winner vs. Pool 2 winner

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