Battle of Sexes just a 'gimmick'

FORMER

- BY ELEANOR CROOKS

British number one Greg Rusedski has branded this month’s Battle of the Sexes clash between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios a gimmick.The pair (pictured) will face off on December 28 in Dubai in what has become one of the most talked-about matches of the year, with the BBC picking up broadcasting rights in the UK.

The most famous Battle of the Sexes clash saw Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs at the Houston Astrodome in 1973 in the fledgling days of the WTA when women were fighting for their place in the sport.

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.