Siniakova and Townsend end Venus and Fernandez's US Open run

Leylah Fernandez and Venus Williams' impressive doubles run at the US Open came to an end as they were defeated by No. 1 seeds Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova in the quarterfinals. The top seeds dominated the match, showcasing their skills with 19 winners and only three unforced errors. Siniakova and Townsend will now face the No. 4 seeds in the semifinals as they aim for their third Grand Slam final together.

The Cinderella run of Leylah Fernandez and Venus Williams in the doubles draw at the US Open ended in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at the hands of No. 1 seeds Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova 6-1, 6-2.

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Wild cards Fernandez and Williams, who didn't drop a set in their first three rounds, faced an uphill battle against the two-time Grand Slam champions inside Louis Armstrong Stadium, despite the full support of a packed house. From the match's opening points, Siniakova and Townsend showing why they're one of the world's top teams throughout the 56-minute match, denying the scratch pairing a third upset against a seeded team in Flushing Meadows.

In a performance that world feed commentator Chanda Rubin called "near-perfect," Siniakova and Townsend hit 19 winners to just three unforced errors, and lost just six points total on the serve to march into the semifinals. They are the first top-seeded team in seven years to reach the final four in New York, since Siniakova did it with Barbora Krejcikova.

"I'm really happy with the way that we played today," Townsend said post-match. "I felt like we really executed our game plans to a T, and you know, that's the most that we can ask as players. You know, our coaches were really happy with the way we played, as well.

"There are times when, especially playing opponents that are that tough and are able to kind of make adjustments on the fly, and Venus is a legend and understands and knows how to win and figure things out when things aren't going her way. And Leylah the same. She always is a fighter.

"It really made me very proud, and I'm sure Kat as well, of the way we were able to stay solid from start to finish."

Siniakova, an 11-time Grand Slam doubles champion, went on to call it a "privilege" to play "a legend" like Williams at this stage in her career. She had previously played the former World No. 1 in singles twice, dating back to a 2015 clay-court meeting in Rome.

Townsend, who herself became a fan favorite in the Open's first week with a run to the singles Round of 16, also had praise for her 45-year-old compatriot.

"The earliest memory [of Venus] was watching her on TV, especially here at the US Open," the World No. 1 doubles player in the PIF WTA Rankings said, joking that she was inspired to play tennis because of Williams' then-famous Reebok outfits.

"I remember watching that. Growing up watching Venus and Serena, for me and my sister, it was an inspiration and we really wanted to be like them when we great up, so it's an honor to be able to share the court with her today."

Siniakova and Townsend, bidding to reach their third Grand Slam final as a team and first together at the US Open, will face No. 4 seeds Elise Mertens and Veronika Kudermetova in the semifinals.

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