Williams sisters lose first-ever Olympic doubles match
In this picture shot with a slow shutter speed Venus Williams of the United States runs to the net during the match against Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens in the women's tennis competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016. (Vadim Ghirda/Associated Press)
RIO DE JANEIRO — Serena and Venus Williams lost an Olympic doubles match for the first time, stunned in the opening round of the Rio de Janeiro Games by the Czech Republic’s Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova 6-3, 6-4.
The Williams sisters entered Sunday’s match with a 15-0 career record in the Olympics, winning the gold medal in women’s doubles every time they entered the event: in 2000, 2008 and 2012.
The American duo was seeded No. 1 in Rio and coming off a 14th Grand Slam championship together at Wimbledon a month ago.
