"For it to be a real Battle of the Sexes, the court dimensions have to be the same and it has to be tennis. It could be one set, but it has to be two serves. The court size has to be the same because that's the way tennis is played. Is this more of an exhibition and is Kyrgios going to take her along or is it going to be a real battle out there where they go toe-to-toe properly? We don't know."
"World number one Sabalenka has described this month's match as merely entertainment, insisting it would not damage the women's game if she lost to Kyrgios, who has been sidelined by injury for most of the last three years. The court will be nine per cent smaller on Sabalenka's side to compensate for the difference in speed between men and women, while both players will only have one serve per point."
Sabalenka and Kyrgios will play in Dubai in a highly publicized match with BBC broadcasting rights covering the UK and Ireland. The matchup echoes the famous 1973 Battle of the Sexes when Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs. Sabalenka described the contest as entertainment and said a loss would not harm the women's game. The format modifies tennis rules: Sabalenka's side of the court is nine per cent smaller and both players will have only one serve per point. Former British No 1 Greg Rusedski criticized the changes, saying unequal court dimensions and single serves undermine credibility and noting Kyrgios's limited tour play and fitness uncertainty.
Read at Irish Independent
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