Serena, Venus Williams lose in first round of US Open doubles

New York: Serena and Venus Williams traded fist bumps or palm slaps and chatted between points. They smiled while conversing in their seats at changeovers.

When their first doubles match together in 4 1/2 years ended with a loss at the U.S Open on Thursday night, the siblings hugged each other, then left the court to a standing ovation. The Williams sisters were eliminated by the Czech pair of Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova 7-6 (5), 6-4 at Flushing Meadows.

"I was speechless when I found out I'm going to face these two. I mean, they're legends. And I was always such a big fan of them, especially Serena. She has been my idol since ever, probably," said Noskova, a 17-year-old making her Grand Slam debut in doubles. "So I was really happy, excited, but kind of scared, to face them."

Arthur Ashe Stadium had never hosted a first-round doubles match for women or men, during the night or day until this one featuring two members of one family who have combined to claim 14 Grand Slam titles in doubles. "It's something incredible, because playing first round in a huge stadium, with 23,000 people, is something amazing, said the 37-year-old Hradecka, who won major doubles trophies with Andrea Hlavackova at the 2013 U.S. Open and 2011 French Open.