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Serena and Venus Williams electrified Arthur Ashe Stadium but fell to Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint in three thrilling sets in their return to the US Open women\u2019s doubles on Friday.<\/strong><\/p>\n The superstar sisters, whose 14 Grand Slam doubles titles include two US Opens, rallied from a break down in the third set and led the deciding 10-point tiebreaker 5-0 but fell 6-3, 6-7 (6\/8), 7-6 (10\/7).<\/p>\n Venus, 46, and Serena, 44, hadn\u2019t played Grand Slam doubles since the 2022 US Open and last won a title together at Roland Garros in 2018.<\/p>\n They showed flashes of their brilliant best, Serena proving particularly dangerous patrolling the net but struggling with her serve.<\/p>\n After recovering from losing the first set to level the match in the second-set tiebreaker.<\/p>\n They belted no fewer than 20 winners in the set, holding serve throughout and leveled the match when Joint smacked an overhead long to roars from the crowd.<\/p>\n Chan and Joint regrouped to seize a 4-2 lead in the third. The sisters rallied, but get to the finish line as Taiwan\u2019s Chan and Joint fought back superbly to clinch the victory.<\/p>\n For Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion considered by many to be tennis\u2019s greatest women\u2019s player, it was her first return to the courts of Flushing Meadows since then.<\/p>\n The 44-year-old had returned to major singles play as a Wimbledon wild card four years after \u201cevolving away\u201d from the game.<\/p>\n At the All-England club she lost to Joint in a Centre Court clash that captured the imagination of both diehard and casual tennis fans.<\/p>\n Even that experience didn\u2019t prepare Joint for the atmosphere on the cavernous Ashe Stadium.<\/p>\n The sisters received a thunderous ovation when they took court, all business in understated white outfits.<\/p>\n Every blistering volley and overhead smash from the Americans received raucous cheers, and when they sprinted to the lead in the decisive 10-point tiebreaker the noise was deafening<\/p>\n \u201cThe atmosphere was surreal,\u201d Joint said. \u201cBeing able to play aginst such legends of the game is super special.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n