Serena and Venus Williams withdraw from doubles at the Australian Open

A leg injury to Venus Williams has forced her and sister Serena out of the Aussie Open doubles tournament. (MAL FAIRCLOUGH/AFP/Getty Images)

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Serena and Venus Williams have withdrawn from doubles at the Australian Open, with Venus citing a lower left leg injury. The duo, who have won four Australian Open doubles titles together, were scheduled to play their first-round match later this afternoon.

The withdrawal was announced after Serena finished her third round singles match, a 6-3, 6-3 win over Daniela Hantuchova. It was another scorching afternoon on Rod Laver Arena, and Serena appeared to struggle in the heat.

After the match, she denied reports that she skipped a post-match interview due to dizziness. "I had some pressing things I needed to take care of," she said. Subdued and short with her answers, Serena said she did not know the details of Venus' injury and regretted having to withdraw from doubles; however, the move does mean she won't have to spend more time in the heat.