BJK, Original 9, Sharapova join 'Battle of the Sexes' film premiere in LA

LOS ANGELES, California, US - Tennis greats past and present mingled with Hollywood stars ahead of the LA premiere of 'Battle of the Sexes' - with Maria Sharapova joining Billie Jean King and members of the Original 9 as well as actors Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Sarah Silverman, Alan Cumming, plus musician and composer Sara Bareilles

The film is a dramatic retelling of the match that took place on September 20, 1973 when King (played by Stone) took on Bobby Riggs (Carell), a former major champion who claimed he could still beat any of the women on the WTA.

They were joined by members of the 'Original 9' - the women who in 1970 joined together to form the WTA and compete on their own professional tennis circuit.

King took center stage on the astroturf green carpet at the Regency Village Theater in Westwood, where she was joined by former World No.1 Sharapova.

Pam Shriver and CoCo Vandeweghe were among the other tennis stars in attendance at the showing of the film, which opens in the United States this week.