The Battle of the Sexes

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The Battle of the Sexes (German: The battle of the sexes) are tennis exhibition fights between men and women . In particular, the three following matches are meant:

1973 Court vs. Riggs

The first battle of the sexes on May 13, 1973 between then 30-year-old Margaret Court and 55-year-old Bobby Riggs was won by Riggs 6: 2, 6: 1 and has gone down in history as the "Mother's Day Massacre". Court was the current number 1 in women's tennis at the time .

1973 King vs. Riggs

The better known match took place on September 20, 1973, also between Riggs and the then 29-year-old Billie Jean King at the Astrodome in Houston . In front of over 30,000 spectators, Billie Jean King won in three sets (6: 4, 6: 3, 6: 3) against Riggs, who was almost twice his age, who won the men's singles at Wimbledon 34 years earlier (1939) . King was hailed as an icon of women's tennis. Later, only the second "Battle of the Sexes" was often mentioned in this context, the first duel tended to be concealed. There are those who claim that Riggs intentionally lost the second duel - in contrast to the first match against the better player - to pay off gambling debts.

1992 Navratilova vs. Connors

The third "Battle of the Sexes" match, also known as the Battle of Champions , was held at Caesars Palace in Paradise (Nevada) on September 25, 1992 between 40-year-old Jimmy Connors and 35-year-old Martina Navratilova . Navratilova had previously refused to play against John McEnroe or Ilie Năstase because she considered the two to be unworthy. The organizers originally tried to have Connors play against Monica Seles , but that didn't materialize. Connors called the match "War"; Navratilova, on the other hand, called it the "battle of the egos".

The match was played under asymmetrical rules to make it more exciting. Connors only had one serve per point (Navratilova two) and played on a much larger field. Entry fee was $ 650,000, and an additional $ 500,000 for the winner. Connors won 7-5 and 6-2. Navratilova made eight double faults and 36 casual errors. Connors wrote in his book "The Outsider" that he had wagered a million dollars that Navratilova would not play more than eight games.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ 40 LOVE History: The Battle Of The Sexes
  2. ↑ 40 LOVE Infographic: King Vs Riggs
  3. ↑ 40 LOVE Infographic: The Battle
  4. ↑ Hendrik Ternieden: The gender struggle and the mafia. In: Spiegel Online . August 28, 2013, accessed January 5, 2017 .
  5. ↑ Kate Meyers: Serve them up in Sin City. In: Entertainment Weekly. September 25, 1992, archived from the original on August 22, 2010 ; Retrieved August 2, 2010 .
  6. ↑ SPORTS PEOPLE: TENNIS; Connors-Navratilova for $ 500,000 . In: The New York Times , July 29, 1992. 
  7. ↑ 1992 Tennis Jimmy Connors Martina Navratilova B . YouTube. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  8. ^ Scorecard: Double Faux . In: Sports Illustrated , October 5, 1992.