DUBAI (EMIRATI ARABI) (ITALPRESS) – An exhibition that will have made the purists of tennis twist their noses but that has definitely enjoyed the audience of the Coca Cola Arena in Dubai. The “Battle of the Sexes”, the challenge between the leader of the Wta Aryna Sabalenka ranking and the former number 13 Atp Nick Kyrgios went, as a pronostic, to the Australian who imposes 6-3 6-3. The challenge was played on a modified field and with the limit of only one service for each of the two contenders.
The organizers of the event, the Evolve agency that represents both players, opted for half the Belarusian outclass smaller than 9%, “to reflect average differences in the speed of movement between men and women”. Despite this, the differences have seen all, starting from the first set, won for 6-3, in 35 minutes of play, from the aussie. Which, also benefiting from errors at the service of Sabalenka, does not always push to the maximum. And when it does, in partial end, it always closes the point with a discreet ease. Risate in the field, Ronaldo (the Brazilian one) and Kakà on the sides, a couple of passersons of the Belarusian and Kyrgios increasingly sweaty trying to infiler with the short ball.
The queen of the female circuit then climbs to the level while the Australian jokes a little too much with fire between services from below and forced hits. After a time-out served at the 27-year-old of Minsk to dance the Macarena, Kyrgios understands that he has to fund all his energies to avoid the figure, set from 1-3 and closes the 6-3 accounts to the fourth match-point. The challenge of Dubai has modernized the two analogues of 1973.
In May of that year, Bobby Riggs, then 55-year-old and retired professional, defeated 6-2 6-1 Margaret Court, who won the Australian Open, Roland Garros and US Open. On September 20, Billie Jean King won Riggs at the Houston Astrodome for 6-4 6-3 6-3. Don’t forget also the 1992 match where Jimmy Connors had the best on Martina Navratilova for 7-5 6-2 in Las Vegas although, like Kyrgios, he had only one before and the rival was allowed to exploit the corridors as well as double.
Exchange of compliments and the promise to meet again for revenge. Aryna Sabalenka is defeated by the “Battle of the Six” against Nick Kyrgios “but I felt great: he suffered, he had to fight. I think we showed a good level of tennis. Nick is very good, the next time I face him, I can play better at tactical level.”.
Words they know of promise: “I like to challenge myself, I would love to face it again,” adds the 27-year-old Belarusian opening up to a second chapter. “The field was different in size, I had to make adjustments – explains the match – Playing against men is different, the game is faster, I will need two days to recover.”.
Kyrgios, for his part, admits that it was “a complicated match, she is a huge competitor, a champion, who puts you so much pressure, I didn’t know what to expect. I hope to recapture it – the Australian wishes too – It has proved the great talent that has, it was a very hard battle: I’m not the one who won, but Aryna who has proven to be able to play at a very high level, this match could go one way or another.”.
-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).
