Venus Williams, Leylah Fernandez Reach U.S. Open Doubles Quarterfinals
Unseeded pairing defeats No. 12 Ekaterina Alexandrova and Shuai Zhang, extending Williams’ bid for a Grand Slam doubles title without sister Serena
Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez advanced to the U.S. Open women’s doubles quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 12 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova and Shuai Zhang in the Round of 16 on Sept. 1.
Williams, a 14-time Grand Slam doubles champion, and Fernandez entered the tournament unseeded and pulled ahead after a decisive break in the second set. After taking the first set 6-3, the teams were tied 3-3 in the second before Williams and Fernandez secured a break and then held serve in their next two service games to move within reach of the win. At match point, with the pair leading 40-15, Williams served to the corner and Fernandez, stationed at the net, sliced a return between Alexandrova and Zhang to seal the victory.
The win prolongs Williams’ run at the U.S. Open as she pursues what would be her first Grand Slam doubles title without sister Serena as a partner. Fernandez, partnering with the veteran former world No. 1, has formed an unseeded but effective tandem through the early rounds of the tournament.
Williams and Fernandez will face the winner of the match between Taylor Townsend and Kateřina Siniaková, the tournament’s No. 1 seed, and the pairing of Camila Osorio and Yuan Yue in the quarterfinals. Siniaková is competing with Townsend after a series of team changes among seeded doubles pairings at this year’s event.
Williams’ doubles résumé includes 14 major titles, most of them earned alongside Serena Williams, and her continued presence in the doubles draw has been a recurring storyline at Grand Slams since returning to competitive play. Fernandez, who has built a reputation in singles play, has shown poise at the net in doubles and combined with Williams’ serving and experience to close out the match in straight sets.
The U.S. Open continues through the coming week with the doubles quarterfinals scheduled after the completion of singles matches. The progression of Williams and Fernandez will be watched closely given Williams’ storied doubles history and the pairing’s unseeded status in the tournament.
