
Serena Williams didn't grant her sister's request to come to her US Open quarterfinal match as Venus and Leylah Fernandez bowed out of the women's doubles tournament after losing 1-6 2-6 to No. 1 seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend.
After taking a surprise wildcard into the US Open doubles tournament, Williams and Fernandez upset two seeded pairs at Flushing Meadows - Lyudmyila Kichenok & Ellen Perez and Ekaterina Alexandrova and Zhang Shuai. Also, they defeated unseeded Ulrikke Eikeri and Eri Hozumi.
But against top-seeded Siniakova and Townsend, Williams and Fernandez couldn't do much as they lost their serve three times in the opening set. The second set was a similar story as the reigning Australian Open winners clinched two breaks to complete their dominant win in less than an hour of play.
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Venus Williams wanted her sister in the stands
After the American/Canadian pair progressed into the quarterfinal and set up a clash against the top-seeded team, Venus had a message for her sister.
"She (Serena) is so happy for Leylah and I, and she's given us advice. We just need her in the box. So, my message is, 'Serena, you need to show up,'" the 45-year-old said.
In the same interview, Venus revealed that Serena was passionately supporting her and Fernandez.
"She gave me a pep talk and made sure to call me today. I was, like, 'You're right. I got it. I got it.' She's definitely coaching from afar. She's so excited. She gets so nervous watching, and she's got the kids watching. They're all at home, just really on our side," Venus shared.
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Unfortunately for Venus but also for fans, Serena didn't make an appearance at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday.