08/17/26 10:32:00
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08/17 22:30 CDT Serena and Venus Williams return to doubles and lose close
match in Cincinnati
Serena and Venus Williams return to doubles and lose close match in Cincinnati
By JEFF WALLNER
Associated Press
CINCINNATI (AP) --- Serena and Venus Williams played their first doubles match
together since the 2022 U.S. Open and lost a thriller, 2-6, 6-1 (10-8) to Marta
Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns on Monday night at the Cincinnati Open.
The sisters nearly recovered from a 6-0 deficit in the match tiebreaker before
a double-fault by Venus Williams ended their first doubles appearance in a
non-Grand Slam event since the Italian Open in 2016. They entered as a wild
card.
Serena had been off the tour since 2022 before returning this summer at age 44.
The sisters planned to play together at Wimbledon but had to withdraw after
Serena injured her knee while losing her singles match.
"Eventually we would find our way to each other," the 46-year-old Venus said
about the decision to play doubles again. "It's our first time playing together
in forever. It was great for us to get out there and do it."
Kostyuk and Stearns, both 24, are playing in their first tournament together.
Stearns is a Cincinnati native and Kostyuk is from Ukraine.
After dropping the first set, the Williams sisters rolled in the second to
force a match tiebreak.
Kostyuk and Stearns went ahead 6-0, but consecutive double-faults by Kostyuk
helped the Williamses get within 8-7. It was 9-8 after Serena powerfully put
away an overhead before Venus double-faulted.
Venus and Serena have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and 22 total. Serena won
one with Alexandra Stevenson in 2002 at Leipzig. All of Venus' doubles titles
have been with her sister. They also have won three Olympic gold medals
together.
Serena has won 23 singles Grand Slam titles. Venus has won seven.
Swiatek rallies for 3-set win and other results
In other results Monday, defending Cincinnati champion Iga Swiatek rallied from
a set down to win her eighth consecutive match, beating Maria Sakkari, 4-6,
6-1, 6-1.
No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina beat Magdalena Frech, 6-4, 7-6. Third-ranked Jessica
Pegula beat fellow American Emma Navarro, 7-5, 6-2.
World No. 3 and top seed Alexander Zverev won his ATP-tour leading 46th match
this season, outlasting Terence Atmane, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (6).
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