Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Safarova-Strycova stun Williams sisters in first round

Last updated on: August 08, 2016 05:48 IST

The Czech Republic pair of Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova

IMAGE: The Czech Republic pair of Lucie Safarova, right, and Barbora Strycova celebrate after beating the United States’ Serena Williams and Venus Williams in the women’s doubles at the Rio Olympics. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters.

Serena and Venus Williams, three-time women's doubles Olympic champions, crashed out in the first round at the Rio Games on Sunday in one of the biggest upsets so far in women's tennis.

The Williams sisters were beaten by the Czech Republic pair of Barbora Strycova and Lucie Safarova 3-6, 4-6.

They bagged their first women's doubles title at the 2000 Sydney Games and repeated the feat at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games.

IMAGE: Serena and Venus Williams of the United States leave after losing to the Czech Republic’s Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova in the women’s doubles at the Rio Olympics. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters.

Going into the  match with a 15-0 career record in the Olympics, they were seeded No. 1 and coming off a 14th Grand Slam championship together at Wimbledon a month ago. 

Neither Safarova nor Strycova, unseeded at the Games, had won an Olympic doubles match, going a combined 0-3 with other partners.

They played just one match as a team before, at the Fed Cup match last year, and lost it.