By Janina Nuno Rios

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Serena Williams may not be playing the U.S. Open anymore, but her presence still loomed large on Monday, with Venus Williams revealing her younger sister has been coaching from afar as she and Leylah Fernandez surged into the doubles quarter-finals.

Wildcards Venus and Fernandez claimed a 6-3 6-4 win over 12th seeds Ekaterina Alexandrova and Zhang Shuai, as the American secured her first major doubles quarter-final since 2016 and another chapter in the unlikely run of the 45-year-old and her 22-year-old Canadian partner.

It was a night that blended nostalgia with fresh energy, as Venus, who has won 14 doubles majors alongside Serena, now crafts a new story with Fernandez’s youthful spark, even jokingly asking for her sister’s presence at Flushing

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