Venus Williams and Tjen Storm Into Guangzhou Doubles Semi-Finals

Venus Williams and Janice Tjen are through to the doubles semi-finals at the Guangzhou Open after a commanding 6-1, 6-3 quarter-final win over Lyudmyla Kichenok and Makoto Ninomiya on Wednesday. The pair won on Center Court in Guangzhou, wrapping up the match in straight sets.

Williams, playing in Guangzhou on a wild card, and Tjen controlled the contest from the start, taking the first set 6-1 before closing out the second 6-3. It was a polished display from a partnership that has quickly found its rhythm at the WTA event, which runs through to November 1.

The result was a bright spot for Tjen on a busy day in Guangzhou. Earlier on Wednesday she had lost her singles round-of-16 match to Harriet Dart, a result already covered separately, but she bounced back within hours to help Williams into the last four of the doubles. Kichenok and Ninomiya, who had reached the quarter-finals by beating Jesika Maleckova and Miriam Skoch, had no answer to the winners' serving and net play.

Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, continues to add to a remarkable late-career chapter, while Tjen's doubles run gives her tournament a second life. The pair will now prepare for a semi-final as they chase a place in the Guangzhou final.