Bobby Riggs and Margaret Court face off in first Battle of the Sexes
On May 13 1973 during the early years of the womens liberation movement tennis stars Bobby Riggs and Margaret Court face off in a 10000 winner-take-all challenge match.The 55-year-old Riggs a tennis champion from the late 1930s and 40s who was notoriously skeptical of womens talents on the tennis court branded the contest a battle of the sexes.The match which was played on Mothers Day and televised internationally was held on Riggs home turf the San Vincente Country Club in Ramona California northeast of San Diego.
Proceeds were promised to the American Diabetes Association.READ MORE 7 Women Who Broke Down Barriers in Sports Bobby Riggs had originally proposed a male-female match-up to Billie Jean King whom he dubbed the leading womens libber of tennis.King ignored the offer but Australian Margaret Court who had won 89 of her last 92 matches and was the leading money-winner on the womens professional tour accepted.Leading up to the match Riggs loudly and consistently belittled womens tennis and its players to the media while Court occupied with raising her one-year-old son said little.Court was a serve-and volley player known for her tough play at the net.
By contrast Riggs was a baseliner and it later became known that he had the court resurfaced to slow the game giving him time to wind up and put more power into his stroke.The slow surface immediately put Court at a disadvantage.Riggs lobbed Courts shots back to her breaking the rhythm she was accustomed to on the hard-hitting womens tour.
Rattled she lost the match 6-2 6-1.The moment the match ended Riggs again challenged Billie Jean King.She accepted and their 100000 winner-take-all matchdubbed by some the libber vs.the lobbertook place on September 20 1973 in front of a sold-out Houston Astrodome crowd.
The 29-year-old King prevailed 6-4 6-3 6-3.At a news conference after the match Riggs explained the loss She was too good too fast.She returned all my passing shots and made great plays off them I was trying to play my game but I couldnt.After Riggs death at age 77 in 1995 King complimented her formal rival and his probably accidental contribution to the advancement of sexual equality Our Battle of the Sexes match helped to advance the game of tennis and women everywhere.READ MORE When Billie Beat Bobby
