Talk about a gut punch: Serena and Venus Williams were up 5-0 in the deciding third set tiebreaker at the US Open on Friday, only to watch Maya Joint and Hao-Ching Chan rip off eight of the next nine points and seal a crushing 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-7(7) first-round loss. Man, what a tough one to swallow for the legendary sisters, especially in their first US Open doubles match since 2022.
The Fight to Force a Third Set Was Epic
The match was a rollercoaster from the jump. Chan and Joint came out hot, grabbing three of the first four games in the opening set. Serena and Venus tried to claw their way back, getting a break and looking like they were starting to find their rhythm, but it wasn’t enough to take the first set. The second set, though? That was a battle. The sisters held serve in the first game and then built a 5-4 edge. They kept pushing for break points against Chan and Joint but just couldn’t convert, sending the set into a tiebreaker. You could feel the tension! Serena and Venus snagged the first two points and then went up 6-4 in the breaker. But then, a long forehand from Venus and a double fault from Serena brought it back to 6-6. Talk about a heartstopper! Luckily, they forced a couple of mistakes from Joint right when it mattered most, clinching the set and forcing a decider.
Heartbreak in the Decisive Tiebreaker
Heading into the third, you felt like the momentum was with the Williams sisters, but Chan and Joint jumped all over them, taking a 4-1 lead. Serena had a long backhand on a break point in the fourth game, which really highlighted that early struggle. But true to form, Serena and Venus weren’t done. They dug deep, winning three straight games to level things up at 4-4. Both duos then held serve for the next four games, setting up that intense 10-point tiebreaker. Serena and Venus started like a house on fire, rocketing to a 5-0 lead, and you just knew they had it in the bag, right? Wrong. Chan and Joint then ripped off eight of the next nine points to flip the script completely. A long forehand from Serena set up match point, and Chan delivered the final blow with a winner at the net. It’s a tough way to go out, especially when the sisters struggled with “self-inflicted issues,” racking up 26 unforced errors compared to just 15 for their opponents.
Despite the brutal loss, you gotta respect the grit from 46-year-old Venus and 44-year-old Serena. This wasn’t their night, but their legacy? That’s forever. They’ve already got 14 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles together and a perfect 14-0 record in those Grand Slam doubles finals. What a pair, man.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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