Venus Williams bowed out of the US Open after she and Canadian partner Leylah Fernandez were outclassed by top seeds Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova 6-1 6-2 in the women’s doubles quarter-finals on Tuesday.
Townsend and Siniakova, reigning Australian Open champions, needed just 22 minutes to sweep the opening set and quickly built an unassailable lead in the second, breaking again after Williams and Fernandez's lengthy first service game.
Despite the roar of support for the North American duo from the Louis Armstrong stadium crowd, Williams and Fernandez were overpowered, with Townsend and Siniakova dictating play from start to finish.
The victory sent the top seeds into the semi-finals, where they will meet fourth seeds Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens.
Even in defeat, the American veteran drew admiration from her opponents.
"It's tough to describe it in words, it's a privilege. She is a legend and I really enjoyed it," Siniakova said of facing Venus, who claimed 14 Grand Slam doubles titles pairing with her sister Serena.
American 29-year-old Townsend added: "Growing up watching Venus and Serena was an inspiration for me and my sister. We really wanted to be like them when we grew up, so it's an honour to share the court with her today."
As Williams and Fernandez waved to the crowd, their Armstrong farewell reminded everyone why Venus remains one of the sport's most enduring icons.
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