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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mustard" data-source="post: 352116" data-attributes="member: 46">Bobby Riggs was the best tennis player in the world from 1944-1947 or so, and had famously won the Wimbledon men's singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles triple while an amateur in 1939. He was a hustler and big gambler. At the time of the Battle of the Sexes in 1973, Riggs was 54-55 years old and had a big scheme to challenge big female tennis players of the day and ridiculed the standard of women's tennis. Chris Evert turned him down, so did Billie Jean King, but Margaret Court accepted. Riggs beat Court 6-2, 6-1. Victoria Principal was pals with Riggs, and was one of Riggs' most high profile female fans of the time. King then felt that she had to accept Riggs' challenge as the Court match had damaged the credibility of women's tennis. Riggs and King met in a big $100,000 winner take all exhibition over best of 5 sets. King surprisingly won 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.Yes, Riggs and King got on in real life. It worked at the time, Riggs dissing women's tennis and King playing the feminist champion.Victoria saying "Oh, Bobby" in exasperation has a new meaning <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></blockquote>