"Nick Kyrgios has beaten women's world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the Battle of the Sexes, a highly-publicised showdown with modified rules that divided tennis fans. Former Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios won 6-3, 6-3 in an exhibition match in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday that bore little resemblance to the era-defining 1973 encounter between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs."
"On Sunday in Dubai in the UAE, each player received only one serve, and the dimensions of Sabalenka's side of the court were nine percent smaller, in an attempt to restrict Kyrgios's power and speed advantage. Kyrgios has dropped to 671 in the rankings after playing just six ATP matches over the past three seasons, but the 30-year-old Australian still had enough to see off four-time Grand Slam singles champion Sabalenka, 27."
Nick Kyrgios defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-3 in a Battle of the Sexes exhibition in Dubai under modified rules. Each player was allowed only one serve and Sabalenka's side of the court was reduced by nine percent to limit Kyrgios's power and speed. The event drew comparisons to the 1973 Billie Jean King–Bobby Riggs match, when King defended women's tour legitimacy. Kyrgios has fallen to 671 in the rankings after limited ATP play but used drop shots and varied serves to shorten points and prevail. He appeared fatigued during the match but recovered, sealed the win, and embraced Sabalenka afterward.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]