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'Battle of the sexes' to spice up China Open
The Serena Williams vs Andy Murray match might have to wait as focus shifts on Novak Djokovic vs Li Na match.
The 'Battle of the Sexes' match between World No 1 Novak Djokovic and China's No 1 Li Na for charity has been scheduled to open the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on Friday night.
'Battle of the sexes' to spice up China Open
According to China Daily, each single ace shot from Li would earn $6178 for charity.
Kunlun Mountains Mineral Water, sponsor of Li, is reportedly donating a minimum 100,000 yuan to China Soong Ching Ling Foundation after the game while setting no ceiling on the amount if the Chinese tennis star plays more aces, the report said.
'Battle of the sexes' to spice up China Open
Li, US Open semifinalist and charity devotee, said she's looking to be involved in charity work after retirement while the Serbian star has been seeking a showdown with a female counterpart ever since becoming World No. 1, the report added.
Li lost to Serena Williams of the US while Djokovic lost to Rafael Nadal from Spain in this year's US Open in August, the report further said.
Battle of the sexes has had a prominent place in tennis
The battle of the sexes has had a prominent place in the history of tennis stretching back to Bobby Riggs' efforts to prove a macho point against then Wimbledon champion Billy Jean King 40 years ago.
Riggs was a former All England Club victor himself, albeit as far back as 1939, and at the age of 55 wanted to show that women's tennis was an inferior product. He was humbled in three straight sets.
The format was dusted off in 1992 when Martina Navratilova took on Jimmy Connors, but with the rules slightly altered in her favour and without the burning chauvinism that had marked the earlier clash.
Serena's terms
Should Murray and Williams ever set this up, the American wants it to be on her terms.
"I get alleys (tramlines)," she said. "He gets no serves. I get alleys on my serves, too. He gets no legs, yeah."
British tennis star Andy Murray has said that he believed that he would lose if he played against American ace Serena Williams on grass courts.
Murray believes Serena could beat him on grass
Making his admission on Twitter, Murray said that he does not rate his chances against the five-times Wimbledon winner, the Daily Star reported.
Responding to a tennis fan's comment on Twitter that he reckoned that Williams could beat him on grass, Murray replied that he also believed the same, adding that a match should be set up between him and Williams on grass to see how far he can go against the American.