Serena and Venus Williams electrified Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday but fell to Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint in three thrilling sets on their return to the US Open women’s doubles.
The superstar sisters, whose 14 Grand Slam doubles titles include two US Open crowns, rallied from a break down in the third set and raced to a 5-0 lead in the deciding 10-point tiebreaker before losing 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (10/7).
Venus, 46, and Serena, 44, had not played Grand Slam doubles since the 2022 US Open and last won a title together at Roland Garros in 2018.
The sisters showed flashes of their brilliant best, with Serena proving particularly dangerous at the net despite struggling with her serve.
After dropping the opening set, the Americans fought back to level the match in the second-set tiebreaker. They belted 20 winners in the set and held serve throughout before Joint sent an overhead long, prompting a huge roar from the crowd.
Chan and Joint regrouped to seize a 4-2 lead in the third set. The Williams sisters rallied once again and appeared poised to complete the comeback when they surged 5-0 ahead in the deciding tiebreaker.
But Chan and Joint responded superbly, reeling off the points they needed to deny the American pair and clinch a memorable victory.
For Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion widely regarded as one of the greatest women’s players in tennis history, the match marked her return to Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2022.
The 44-year-old had returned to Grand Slam competition as a Wimbledon wild card four years after announcing she was “evolving away” from tennis.
At the All England Club, she lost to Joint in a Centre Court clash that captured the imagination of both diehard and casual tennis fans.
Even that experience, however, did not prepare Joint for the atmosphere inside the cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The Williams sisters received a thunderous ovation when they walked onto court, dressed in understated white and looking all business.
Every blistering volley and overhead smash from the Americans drew raucous cheers. And when they raced into a 5-0 lead in the deciding tiebreaker, the noise inside Ashe reached deafening levels.
“The atmosphere was surreal,” Joint said. “Being able to play against such legends of the game is super special.”
AFP
