Game, Set And Towel (Press, 17 October 1977)
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Summary: Game, Set And Towel (Press, 17 October 1977)
On 17 October 1977, unseeded Renee Richards from the United States advanced to the semi-finals of a $75,000 women’s tennis tournament in Phoenix, Arizona, following an unexpected turn of events during her match against number five seed Kerry Reid. Richards was leading 7-6, 4-1 when Reid controversially walked off the court, much to the surprise of Richards, who expressed her disbelief over the sudden decision. She remarked, “Frankly, I’m floored she did that,” indicating her confusion over why Reid would quit while being close to winning. Reid's husband, Raz, made a dramatic statement by throwing a towel onto the court, which narrowly missed Richards. He later asserted that Reid would never compete against Richards again. Although Reid is originally from Australia, she currently resides in the United States with her husband, who is a professional player on the international men’s tennis tour. During the match, Reid displayed strong performance skills, making solid forehands for winners, while Richards felt her own game was not at its best due to nervousness and tension. The first set saw both players trading service breaks, but Richards eventually secured the tiebreaker decisively before breaking Reid’s serve to take an early lead in the second set. The abrupt end to the match sparked discussions in the tennis community regarding the dynamics of competition and the implications of Richards being a transsexual athlete in the sport. Richards' journey continued, as she later faced Wendy Turnbull from Australia in the semi-final, where she ultimately lost with a score of 2-6, 2-6. Turnbull then advanced to meet the renowned Billie-Jean King in the final.
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