re: Outside the Lines: Bobby Riggs fixed The Battle of the Sexes

40 year old Connors beat Martina Navratilova in straight sets in 1992.

Connors was allowed only one serve per point, and Navratilova was allowed to hit into half the doubles court.

quote:

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Tennis Hall of Famer Jimmy Connors says he had a serious gambling problem that included betting $1 million on himself in the 1992 Battle of the Sexes match against Martina Navratilova.

In his new autobiography The Outsider, Connors says he bet that he would beat Navratilova in straight sets without losing more than eight games. He had to do it getting only one serve, with Navratilova using half the doubles alley. Those were the Battle of the Sexes rules.

Connors lost three of the first four games before winning 7-5, 6-2 to win the bet.

“Betting on myself was the ultimate gambler's high,” he wrote. “I was out of control and I didn't realize it, though that bet should have been a big-assed hint.”

Bobby Riggs, who was watching the match in Las Vegas and who had played a Battle of the Sexes match against Billie Jean King in 1973, also wagered big money on Connors. When it was 3-1 Navratilova, Riggs appeared to be having a heart attack, according to Tennis.com.

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Hmm, wonder why? Perhaps he knew a woman couldn't match up against an old guy even with the handicapped rules?