Hingis and Seles defeat Williams sisters in Sydney

Monica Seles, left, and Martina Hingis have teamed up for the first time at Sydney's International tennis tournament Keystone

Martina Hingis and Monica Seles have teamed up for the first time to beat Venus and Serena Williams in the first round doubles match at Sydney's International tennis tournament on Tuesday.

The Swiss-United States duo, Hingis and Seles, defeated the United States’ Williams sisters 6-4, 3-6, 7-6.

The world number one, Hingis, said it was a great match. “Four players like that together on the court, all with grand slams, all in the top-10, it was so exciting,” she said.

After winning the opening set, Hingis and Seles raced 5-2 ahead in the third. But the Williams sisters, whose 22-match unbeaten run included Wimbledon and the Sydney Olympics gold, fought back to win the next four games and serve for the match.

Unbeaten in doubles since August 1999, Venus and Serena Williams held match point four times but failed to convert any of their chances before Hingis and Seles broke back to force a deciding tie-breaker, which they won.

Hingis won the Australian Hopman Cup, along with fellow Swiss player, Roger Federer, in Perth last week.

swissinfo with agencies