U.S. Open Live: Serena and Venus Lose the First Set

The Williams family’s connection with Arthur Ashe Stadium goes back to the year it opened in 1997, when Venus reached the singles final. Twenty-five years later, she and her kid sister Serena walked out together onto the court on Thursday night, perhaps for the last time, to face a Czech team with considerably less history. No history in fact.

Lucie Hradecka, 37, and Linda Noskova, 17, are playing their first tournament together, and Noskova is making her Grand Slam tournament doubles debut. They took the first set from the Williamses, 7-6 (5).

From the look of the teen’s potent forehand and composed demeanor, this could be the start of a fine career, and the experience gap between the teams…