By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
After an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Show, John McEnroe has fanned some flames about, yet, another “Battle of the Sexes” match, this time featuring himself, at age 56, against world No. 1 Serena Williams. (See here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwzMJOhderk)
While all sports fans are quite familiar with Billie Jean King’s socially historic win over Bobby Riggs at the Houston Astrodome in 1973, fewer are familiar with the “Mother’s Day Massacre” where, earlier in the year, Riggs defeated Margaret Court 6-2, 6-1. Even fewer people remember that 30 years ago on August 23, 1985, prompted by a Vitas Gerulaitis comment that the No. 100 man in the world would beat world No. 1 Martina Navratilova, he and Riggs played Navratilova and Shriver in a “Battle of Sexes – Doubles” match. The following is the excerpt from my “This Day In Tennis History” book and mobile app;
1985 – In a bad remake of the original “Battle of the Sexes,” Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver rout 67-year-old Bobby Riggs and Vitas Gerulaitis 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Says Navratilova, “It was something different. You play tournaments all your life, and this was definitely one of a kind. It can only add to the interest of tennis. People said there would be a lot of pressure on us, but I figured if we can’t enjoy this we can’t enjoy anything.” Says Riggs, “I knew it was mission impossible going in. They were a little too tough for us and a little too strong. Vitas was not able to cover as much of the court as I thought he could.”
Few may also remember that Jimmy Connors and Martina Navratilova competed in another “Battle of the Sexes” match on September 25, 1992, as documented here, also from the “This Day In Tennis” book and mobile app.
1992 – Forty-year-old Jimmy Connors defeats 35-year-old Martina Navratilova 7-5, 6-2 in a pro-type “Battle of the Sexes” match in Las Vegas in front of a sellout crowd of 13,832 outdoors at Caesars Palace. Connors wins $500,000 in the match in which he was only allowed to hit one serve, against Navratilova hitting the traditional two serves. Navratilova is also allowed to hit the ball in an extra half of the doubles alley. “I didn’t take advantage of the alleys,” says Navratilova. “I served poorly today. I was more nervous today than any match I’ve ever been in.” Say Connors, “I thoroughly enjoyed playing Martina. I didn’t know what to expect going out there playing her.” The match was witnessed by both Riggs and King, who engage in their “Battle of the Sexes” in 1973, won by King 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
As background, the following are the two “This Day In Tennis” excerpts from the other two aforementioned “Battle of the Sexes” matches…
On this May 13, 1973… In the prequel to the famous “Battle of the Sexes” match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King, the 55-year-old Riggs crushes No. 1 ranked woman Margaret Court 6-2, 6-1 in 57-minutes in their $10,000 winner-take-all challenge match in Romana, Calif. After the match, that becomes known as the “Mother’s Day Massacre,” Riggs, the self-described male chauvinist pig, issues the challenge to take on King, saying “I want her. She’s the Women’s Libber leader! She can name the place, the court and the time, just as long as the price is right.” Riggs, who famously wins the singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon in 1939, calls his win over Court, “the greatest hustle of all time.” Writes Neil Amdur of the New York Times, “The victory was the latest and perhaps most amazing chapter in the colorful career of one of the games most underrated players and one of the sports most successful hustlers.” King eventually accepts Riggs’ challenge and in September they play in the famous “Battle of the Sexes” match at the Houston Astrodome.
On this September 20, 1973… In perhaps the most socially significant event in the history of tennis and sports history, 29-year-old Billie Jean King defeats 55-year-old Bobby Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in two hours, four minutes to win the “Battle of the Sexes” played at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The match is played in a circus-like atmosphere in front of a world record crowd of 30,492 fans and millions in front of televisions around the world. “She was too good,” says Riggs, the 1939 Wimbledon champion, following the match. “She played too well. She was playing well within herself and I couldn’t get the most out of my game. It was over too quickly.” Writes Neil Amdur of the New York Times, “King struck a proud blow for herself and women around the world.”
