Serena Williams and sister Venus misplaced in the primary spherical of doubles at the U.S. Open to the Czech pair of Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova 7-6 (5), 6-4 in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday evening.
Ashe had by no means hosted a first-round doubles match — for ladies or males, through the evening or day — till this one that includes two American sisters who’ve mixed to say 14 Grand Slam titles in doubles however had been partnering for the primary time for the reason that 2018 French Open.
This was their fourth first-round doubles defeat at a Slam; the newest had been at the 2013 French Open.
As ordinary when taking part in collectively, they traded fist bumps or palm slaps and chatted between factors; they smiled whereas conversing in their seats at changeovers. When the match ended, the sisters hugged one another. They left the court docket to a standing ovation.
“I’m still in shock that we won,” Hradecka stated in an on-court interview proper after the match’s conclusion.
Speaking to the group, she stated: “I’m so sorry for you that we beat them, but we are so happy that we did it.”
An introduced sellout of 23,859 confirmed up, similar to for every of Serena’s two victories in singles thus far this week, though the followers weren’t fairly as boisterous Thursday as that they had been for these different evening matches involving a participant who has hinted that this would be the ultimate occasion of her profession. Serena plays Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday night in the third spherical of singles; Venus misplaced in the primary spherical of that bracket.
The doubles spectators saved their greatest cheers for a few of Serena’s greatest efforts, whether or not aces or putaways or an on-the-run forehand winner. The sisters went up 5-4 early and held two set factors there on Noskova’s serve, however couldn’t convert both.
The loudest second in all probability arrived after a 19-stroke level gained by the sisters through the first-set tiebreaker, that includes three swinging volleys by Serena. That put them forward 4-3, and quickly it was 5-3.
But Hradecka and Noskova grabbed the following 4 factors to say that set. They then jumped forward 3-0 in the second, and after the Williams sisters made it 4-all, the Czech staff pulled away.
The Williams siblings obtained a wild-card entry into this 12 months’s doubles area. Serena, who turns 41 subsequent month, and Venus, who turned 42 in June, gained doubles trophies at the U.S. Open in 1999 — the 12 months Serena gained her first main singles trophy at age 17 in New York — and 2009.
They have a complete of 30 main trophies in singles: 23 for Serena, seven for Venus.
Hradecka is a 37-year-old who gained two main doubles trophies with Andrea Hlavackova, at the 2013 U.S. Open and 2011 French Open. Noskova, 17, was making her Grand Slam doubles debut.
“Playing against the Williams sisters,” Noskova stated, “is a special moment for everybody.”