By Janina Nuno Rios
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Serena Williams may not be playing the U.S. Open anymore, but her presence still loomed large on Monday, with Venus Williams revealing her younger sister has been coaching from afar as she and Leylah Fernandez surged into the doubles quarter-finals.
Wildcards Venus and Fernandez claimed a 6-3 6-4 win over 12th seeds Ekaterina Alexandrova and Zhang Shuai, as the American secured her first major doubles quarter-final since 2016 and another chapter in the unlikely run of the 45-year-old and her 22-year-old Canadian partner.
It was a night that blended nostalgia with fresh energy, as Venus, who has won 14 doubles majors alongside Serena, now crafts a new story with Fernandez’s youthful spark, even jokingly asking for her sister’s presence at Flushing Meadows.
“She gave me a pep talk today. She gets so nervous watching, and she’s got her kids yelling my name,” Venus said on-court.
“She’s so happy for Leylah and I, she’s giving us advice. We just need her in the box. My message is, Serena, you need to show up.”
The Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd roared throughout the match, lifting the American veteran with an almost electric energy, while off the court, the scene was just as striking.
Vogue editor Anna Wintour and Academy Award winner Rami Malek were spotted in the stands, mingling among regular fans thanks to the secondary stadium’s lack of luxury suites.
While the noise belonged to the New York crowd, Venus admitted the guiding voice she still hears most clearly is her sister’s from afar.
“She’s definitely coaching from a distance,” Venus later told reporters. “She gave me a pep talk and made sure to call me today. I was like, ‘You’re right, I got it.'”
Fernandez added with a laugh: “Most likely, if she came, we’d probably bully her into hitting with us.”
Williams and Fernandez continue their fairytale run and will next face top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, who lost in a marathon singles match after missing on eight match points on Sunday.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in New YorkEditing by Shri Navaratnam)
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