Cincinnati, 18 August (H.S.):

Tennis legends Venus Williams and Serena Williams came within just two points of advancing to the second round of the Cincinnati Open women’s doubles before being edged out by Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk and American player Peyton Stearns in a thrilling first-round encounter on Monday.

Kostyuk and Stearns defeated the Williams sisters 2-6, 6-1, 10-8 in a tightly contested match.

The contest marked the first competitive appearance together for Serena and Venus since the 2022 US Open. The sisters produced flashes of their trademark brilliance and mounted an impressive comeback in the three-set battle, but ultimately fell just short in the deciding super tiebreak.

The Williams sisters received a wild card entry for the Cincinnati Open, a key tournament in their preparations for the US Open, which begins six days later.

Serena and Venus made a strong start, dominating the opening set to win 6-2. Kostyuk and Stearns, however, responded emphatically in the second set, winning it 6-1 to force a deciding super tiebreak.

The final stage witnessed a closely fought battle between the two pairs, but Kostyuk and Stearns held their nerve to prevail 10-8.

Throughout the contest, the Williams sisters produced several glimpses of the exceptional tennis that helped them win numerous Grand Slam titles and established them among the most successful sibling partnerships in the history of the sport.

Kostyuk and Stearns will now face the third-seeded pairing of Kristina Mladenovic and Guo Hanyu in the second round.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar