WIMBLEDON, England (AP)—The bid by Venus and Serena Williams for a fifth consecutive Grand Slam title in doubles ended Wednesday with a loss in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
The sisters were beaten 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 by Russians Elena Vesnina and Vera Zvonareva.
The Williamses climbed to No. 1 in doubles for the first time after winning the French Open. They were bidding for their 13th major championship.
Serena, who will play in the semifinals of singles Thursday, wore a bandage on her right shoulder. Zvonareva is in the semifinals of singles for the first time, and they could meet in the final.
The match turned when Venus double-faulted on break point in the second set, giving the Russians a 4-2 lead. Serena lost serve in the third game of the final set, and the sisters didn’t manage a break in the last two sets.
The defeat was only the fifth in 60 matches for the Williamses over the past three years. They fell to 29-2 at Wimbledon.