We delved into tennis history with Lornie Kuhle, the owner and curator of the Bobby Riggs Tennis Club & Museum. Sunday was Mother’s Day, but many may not have been aware that this holiday was the 40th anniversary of the pioneering match between Bobby Riggs and Margaret Court. This match is known as the Mother’s Day Massacre because of 55 year old Riggs’ easy victory of 6-2, 6-1 over 30 year old, number 1 ranked female player at the time, Margaret Court.

After his easy victory, Riggs began to taunt all female tennis players that none could beat him, and it was this flamboyance that enticed Billy Jean King to accept his challenge. The match between King and Riggs would become known as the Battle of the Sexes, and this time, Riggs would not emerge victorious. Lorne Kuhle had the pleasure of being Bobby Riggs’ practice partner in 1973.

As a teenager, your host Richard Muscio had the honor of compiling several large scrap books that cataloged the entirety of Riggs’ career with almost every piece that had ever been printed about the acclaimed 1930s and 40s tennis player.

Bobby Riggs passed away in the fall of 1995 at the age of 77 after a 7 year battle with prostrate cancer. It was in the same year that he was initially diagnosed, 1988, that he founded the Bobby Riggs Tennis Museum Foundation to help fund research and increase awareness for the disease.

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