Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez fell agonizingly short of a memorable Miami Open mixed doubles win.
Williams and Fernandez drew sixth seeds Erin Routliffe and Asia Muhammad in their opening match, and had a fine chance of securing victory.
But Fernandez suffered a nightmare in Miami, missing three consecutive match points in the deciding-set tie-break.
The exciting duo were ultimately beaten 6-3, 3-6, [11-13], having also suffered early exits in their Miami Open singles ventures.
But despite the disappointment, WTA legend Williams continues to be grateful for her tennis career, which she continued last summer after a 16-month break.
You can bring one tennis legend out of retirement. Who do you pick and why?
Venus Williams grateful after playing doubles with Leylah Fernandez in Miami
Williams posted on Instagram after her Miami exit: “There’s always so much energy and love from the Miami Open.
“Grateful to share the court and these moments with incredible players like Leylah Fernandez.”
The two teams could only be split after one hour and 33 minutes of entertaining action at Butch Buchholz.
| Fernandez/Williams | Routliffe/Muhammad | |
| 60.3% 41/68 | Total service points won | 66.7% 40/60 |
| 33.3% 20/60 | Total return points won | 39.7% 27/68 |
| 47.7% 61/128 | Total points won | 52.3% 67/128 |
Routliffe and Muhammad went on to lose in the quarterfinals to Italian pairing Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani, who play Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai in the semifinals.
Also remaining in contention for the title are Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova, who meet Luisa Stefani and Gabriela Dabrowski in the other Miami semi.
Venus Williams likely to continue getting wildcards despite nightmare run
As mentioned, there was also singles disappointment for both Williams and Fernandez at the Miami Open.
The American lost to Francesca Jones in her opening match, while the Canadian was beaten by Jessica Pegula after knocking out Oksana Selekhmeteva.
Fernandez has continued her underwhelming form, but much of the attention has been on former world number one Williams.
She has continuously received wildcards for WTA tournaments, but has now lost her last 11 matches across singles and doubles.
Should Venus Williams still be receiving singles wildcards?
Admirably, however, the seven-time Grand Slam champion has constantly remained upbeat and is clearly enjoying her time on the court.
At 45, not much can be expected from the legendary figure, whose form will likely continue to be overlooked by tournament organizers thanks to her potential to draw big crowds.
There is no denying the attraction she has for many tennis fans, particularly at home tournaments like Miami and Indian Wells.
It remains to be seen what action will be taken by the concerned parties for the clay-court season, but it’s clear that Williams is certainly not the player she once was.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
