US Open: After losing to sister Venus in the US Open opening round, Serena Williams will not be leaving with a last grand slam doubles title.
Four years after their final grand slam performance as a team and six years after winning the most recent of their 14 victories, the sisters made the decision to give it one last go.
However, the old magic was not quite there, as they lost to the Czech team of Lucie Hradecka, 37, and Linda Noskova, 17, in a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 defeat.
The match unquestionably marked Arthur Ashe Stadium’s first-ever opening-round doubles match to start a night session.
When Serena and Venus’s doubles match was announced, it seemed as though this may be the former’s final match; however, her win in singles gave this match a slightly different feel.
Serena Williams once again displayed a strong competitive desire and appeared quick from the back of the court and at the net.
Hradecka threaded a beautiful pass down the line on set point to near silence, but Noskova and Hradecka held on and then took advantage of their opportunity in the tie-break.
Despite Serena and Venus recovering an early break to tie the match at 4-4, she was starting to emerge as the match’s important player against her fellow veterans. A break of Serena’s service ended the match.
Serena will now focus completely on attempting to win her remaining singles match, where she will play Australian Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday.
Other than that, on the men’s singles side of the draw, second seed Rafa Nadal defeated former rival Fabio Fognini 2-6 6-4 6-2 6-1, seven years after losing to the Italian in five sets at Flushing Meadows.
In the third round, Nadal will compete against Richard Gasquet of France.
The Australian Open doubles winners Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis qualified to the second round of the men’s doubles after coming back from a set down to defeat Hugo Gaston and Lorenzo Musetti 4-6 6-3 6-4.
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