After going undefeated in their first 15 Olympic doubles matches, and capturing three gold medals in the process, top seeds Serena and Venus Williams suffered their first Olympic defeat as a duo at the hands of Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova; the Czechs ousting the defending champions 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 33 minutes to advance to the second round of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Safarova/Strycova Win Six of the Next Seven Games from 0-2 Down, Jump Out to One-Set Advantage

After trading blows early, it was unsurprisingly the Williams sisters, fresh off their championship-winning run at Wimbledon four weeks ago, who got off the mark the quicker of the two teams, jumping out to an early 2-0 lead after consolidating a break acquired in the opening game of the match. With their relentless combination of power and depth causing all sorts of problems for Safarova and Strycova, the newly-crowned 14-time Grand Slam doubles champions looked to be on course for yet another victory on the Olympic stage.

Serena (R) and Venus Williams high-five in between points during their first round doubles match against Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova at the RIo 2016 Olympic Games. | Photo: Martin Bernetti/AFP
Serena (R) and Venus Williams high-five in between points during their first round doubles match against Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. | Photo: Martin Bernetti/AFP
 

However, Safarova and Strycova, two decorated doubles players themselves, were determined to flip the script, with a successful challenge in the third game proving to be the turning point in a mightily impressive comeback. After successfully overturning a call while trailing 0-2, 0-30, the Czechs utilized their variety and glimpses of their doubles prowess to tough out an early hold and get on the board, before recovering the early break thanks to an untimely double fault from Serena.

With the momentum now in their favour, Safarova and Strycova emphatically saved a break point en route to another difficult hold. From there, the Czechs would strike once more, catching the sisters off guard, including on break point, where Strycova made a perfect interception, to break and secure a 4-2 lead. Continuing to outsmart the top seeds from the forecourt, the unseeded Czech pairing proved just how dangerous they could be, putting together another sensational hold to move within one game of securing the one-set advantage.

Lucie Safarova (L) and Barbora Strycova in action during their first round doubles match against Serena and Venus Williams at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. | Photo: Photo: Martin Bernetti/AFP
Lucie Safarova (L) and Barbora Strycova in action during their first round doubles match against Serena and Venus Williams at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. | Photo: Photo: Martin Bernetti/AFP
 

The sisters did what they could to stop the bleeding with a relatively comfortable hold themselves, but that proved to be no match for the red-hot Czechs, who clinched the opening set 6-3 on their first set point after a wayward backhand return from the world number one sailed into the tramlines.

Solid Safarova/Strycova Prove Too Strong for An Erratic Serena/Venus

After uncharacteristically being broken twice in the opening set, the serving woes of the Williams sisters soon returned in the early stages of the second set, and it showed; the Czechs taking full advantage to go a set and a break to the good. Showing superb doubles prowess, it is fair to say that Safarova and Strycova were both “in the zone” early in the second set, as both women barely put a foot wrong in further establishing their already sizeable advantage when it mattered most. Strycova in particular, undoubtedly the craftier of the two, closed out the break with a gorgeous drop volley that left Serena stranded and Venus out of sorts, leaving the Americans plenty to think about at the change of ends.

Lucie Safarova (R) and Barbora Strycova high-five in between points during their first round doubles match at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. | Photo: Martin Bernetti/AFP
Lucie Safarova (R) and Barbora Strycova high-five in between points during their first round doubles match at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. | Photo: Martin Bernetti/AFP
 

In serious danger of elimination, the Williams sisters desperately needed to rediscover the form they had enjoyed earlier in the match—and fast. Fortunately, the experience of the top seeds was slowly beginning to tell as they hit back in a big way, breaking straight back before following that up with one of their more comfortable holds to edge their nose back in front at 2-1. Unfazed, the Czechs coolly and calmly responded with an easy hold of their own, before beginning to beg the question once more from the receiving end.

With the score tied at 2-all in the second set, the importance of the fifth game could not be understated, with both teams fighting tooth and nail to add another game to their tally. However, it was Safarova and Strycova who relentlessly put pressure on the Williams serve, making life that much more difficult for the Americans. After a game point and five break points went a-begging, the sixth break point for the Czechs was set up in rather strange fashion; Serena, reaching up to hit a forehand volley, made contact with a Safarova return that sailed long, costing the sisters the point, and giving the unseeded Czech pairing another look at a break. This time, the pair made no mistake, finally converting their sixth break point of the game to reestablish the set and break advantage as Serena netted a routine forehand volley.

Serena (R) and Venus Williams in action during their first round doubles match against Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova. | Photo: Martin Bernetti/AFP
Serena (R) and Venus Williams in action during their first round doubles match against Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova. | Photo: Martin Bernetti/AFP
 

But the breaks didn’t stop there; from 30-0 down in the following game, the Americans were able to recover the break moments after surrendering it, before saving a break point en route to holding to get within two games of forcing a deciding set. Spurred on by the heat of the moment, the Williams sisters began to shift into a new gear, holding three opportunities in all to break and serve it out. However, to the credit of the unseeded Czech duo, Safarova and Strycova were able to stave off a late-set onslaught from the three-time Olympic gold medallists in order to deny the sisters the break, holding to draw level at 4-all.

From there, the Czechs would break serve for the fifth and final time, before serving out the upset of the tournament, combining to shock the three-time Olympic doubles gold medallists 6-3, 6-4 in 93 minutes.

Lucie Safarova (R) and Barbora Strycova embrace after defeating Serena and Venus Williams in the first round of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. | Photo: Photo: Martin Bernetti/AFP
Lucie Safarova (R) and Barbora Strycova embrace after defeating Serena and Venus Williams in the first round of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. | Photo: Photo: Martin Bernetti/AFP

Safarova/Strycova to Meet Bouchard/Dabrowski Next

In the round of 16, the Czechs will look to back up their stunning victory over the Williams sisters against the Canadian team of Eugenie Bouchard and Gabriela Dabrowski, who combined to edge out Poland’s Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Paula Kania in three sets earlier in the day.

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About the author
Max Gao
Max Gao is a sports writer specializing in tennis and the Toronto Blue Jays, who has also written on the Rogers Cup website as a guest contributor in the past.