Venus and Serena Williams brought Arthur Ashe Stadium to life in their first US Open doubles appearance together in four years, but Chan Hao-Ching and Maya Joint held their nerve to deny the 14-time major champions in a three-hour opening-round thriller.
Williams sisters edged out by Chan and Joint in US Open doubles epic
- Chan and Joint took the opening set 6-3 with assertive returning and sharp work at the net.
- The Williams sisters answered in a second-set tiebreak, saving the night with a 7-6 (6) set after surviving several late set points.
- Venus and Serena recovered from 4-1 down in the decider and raced to a 5-0 lead in the match tiebreak, only for Chan and Joint to rally for a 10-7 finish.
The packed New York crowd was firmly behind the Williams sisters on Friday evening, hoping their reunion would produce another memorable chapter at Flushing Meadows. Instead, Chan and Joint emerged with a 6-3, 6-7 (6), [10-7] victory and a place in the second round.
After a comparatively controlled first set from the Australian-Taiwanese pairing, the Williamses raised their level in the second. Neither side surrendered serve through the 12 games, sending the set into a tiebreak under the Ashe lights.
Serena Williams struck a backhand volley winner to move her team ahead 5-3. Chan replied at the net, but Venus Williams created another opportunity with a backhand winner. Joint then fired an unreturned serve to reduce the deficit, before Serena double-faulted while trying to close out the set. The sisters eventually converted their fifth set point when Joint missed a forehand long.
Joint said she had anticipated a difficult atmosphere against two of the sport’s most celebrated home favourites. She said the full stadium and overwhelming support for Venus and Serena were expected, but called the setting special and unlikely to be replicated against many other opponents.
Chan and Joint responded well after losing the second set, moving 4-1 ahead in the deciding set. The Williamses promptly won three straight games to level the contest, and four holds in succession forced the match tiebreak.
The comeback appeared to be gathering pace when Venus and Serena surged to a 5-0 advantage. But consecutive net errors shifted the momentum, and Venus added a double fault at 6-3. Chan and Joint seized six of the next seven points, with Chan putting away the decisive volley at 9-7.
Joint admitted that the finish brought immediate relief after a tense contest. She said nerves and stress had affected her, particularly in the second and third sets, and that she had felt hesitant when chances came at the net.
Chan said the Williams sisters had changed their approach after the opener, particularly by directing more shots down the line. She noted that Chan and Joint had begun aggressively, both on returns and at the net, before the American pair found a way back into the contest.
Second straight match-tiebreak defeat for Venus and Serena
The loss was the second match-tiebreak defeat in as many matches since the sisters resumed their WTA doubles partnership. They were beaten in Cincinnati last month by Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns, 6-2, 1-6, [10-8].
Chan and Joint now move into the second round, where they will face the unseeded partnership of Tamara Korpatsch and Nicole Fossa Huergo.
SEO title: Venus and Serena Williams lose US Open doubles thriller
SEO description: Chan Hao-Ching and Maya Joint defeated Venus and Serena Williams in a three-hour US Open doubles match decided by a match tiebreak.
