Staff Reporter.
(AFP) – Serena and Venus Williams’ glittering Grand Slam doubles career was brought to an abrupt end at the US Open on Thursday as the reunited sisters crashed out in the first round against Czech duo Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova.
The Williams sisters — in what is almost certainly their final outing together as a Grand Slam doubles duo — slumped to a 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 loss at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The American pair – winners of 14 Grand Slam crowns and three Olympic gold medals — had not played together in a doubles tournament since 2018.
But they were handed a wild card into the draw for this year’s US Open just weeks after Serena indicated she planned to retire following the tournament.
On Wednesday, Serena kept her US Open singles campaign alive with a roller coaster, never-say-die performance, sending the Arthur Ashe faithful into raptures on a night of high drama.
But there was a more subdued atmosphere on Thursday as the two sisters took center-stage together to open the night session.
While Serena showed flashes of the sort of brilliance that has studded her singles performances this week, elder sister Venus struggled to find her best form against the Czech duo.
The Williams sisters were unable to take advantage of two opportunities to gain a crucial service break in the first set, and paid the price as Hradecka and Noskova clinched the tie break.
Buoyed by their opening set performance, the Czechs scored an early break in the second and were soon 4-1 ahead with victory beckoning.
The Williams’ were determined not to go down without a fight however and after holding serve dug out a service break and held again to level at 4-4.
But hopes of an epic comeback were snuffed out rapidly with Noskova comfortably holding serve for a 5-4 lead.
The Czech duo then took three match points at 0-40 on Serena’s serve, converting on the second opportunity to clinch victory.
Serena will return to Flushing Meadows on Friday aiming to extend her singles campaign with a third round clash against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic
AZARENKA INTO US OPEN THIRD ROUND
Belarus’s Victoria Azarenka romped into the US Open third round on Thursday with a largely tension-free straight sets victory over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Azarenka, who has reached the final of the US Open on three previous occasions, was always in control as she sealed a 6-2, 6-3 win.
The clash between 26th seed Azarenka and Kostyuk had raised the possibility of a politically-charged contest.
However the only hint of tension came at the end of the match, with Kostyuk offering a perfunctory touch of racquets with Azarenka instead of a handshake.
Last week, Azarenka was axed from an exhibition event on the eve of the US Open aimed at raising money for war-torn Ukraine.
Azarenka was due to have joined a star-studded field for the fundraiser, which was timed to coincide with Ukraine’s Independence Day celebrations.
Kostyuk however was one of a number of Ukraine players who spoke out about Azarenka’s participation.
Organisers subsequently jettisoned Azarenka with Kostyuk saying she would boycott the event if the veteran took part.
Belarus is a close ally of Russia and has allowed Moscow to use its territory to launch attacks into Ukraine.
But there was no obvious evidence of bad blood during Thursday’s encounter held on Court 17 at the Billie Jean King Tennis Centre.
Azarenka quickly took control of the contest against Kostyuk, the 20-year-old world number 65 from Kyiv, whose best result at a Grand Slam was reaching the fourth round of last year’s French Open.
Azarenka scored two early breaks to ease through the first set, and then broke Kostyuk twice in the opening four games of the second set to take a 4-0 lead before closing out the win.
Azarenka will face either Spanish fourth seed Paula Badosa or Croatia’s Petra Martic in the third round.
SWIATEK ON CRUISE CONTROL WITH STEPHENS WIN
World No 1 Iga Swiatek chipped away at American Sloane Stephens’ defensive play to roll into the third round of the US Open 6-3 6-2 on her Arthur Ashe Stadium debut.
The 2017 champion Stephens saved eight of 12 break points but once again could not fend off the Pole’s offensive barrage after losing to her in straight sets last month in the Cincinnati third round.
Swiatek, who collected her second Roland Garros title this year amid an extraordinary 37-match winning streak, sent 14 winners over the net – twice as many as her opponent – and won more than three-quarters of her first-serve points.
Playing on the court where she watched 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams as a junior, the Indian Wells and Miami winner traded breaks with Stephens early in the first set before converting on the fourth try in the fourth game.
She pounced on the momentum as Stephens’ serve deteriorated in the second set, winning the first four games and pumping her fist after forcing the American into a backhand error to close out the affair.
“I’m pretty happy with my focus today. I think I did better than in Cincinnati,” said Swiatek, 21, who will hope to down another American in front of the home crowd when she faces Lauren Davis in the next round.