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Cincinnati Open: Serena and Venus Williams beaten on doubles return

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Serena was playing her first match since Wimbledon, while Venus has played singles and doubles at three hard-court events in recent weeks.

The pair made a poor start against Ukraine’s Kostyuk and American Stearns before shaking off what Serena called “a little rust” in the second set.

They quickly went down 6-0 in the deciding 10-point tie-break but fought back impressively.

Serena produced two service winners to force the tie-break back on serve, but Kostyuk and Stearns held firm before securing victory on a double fault from Venus.

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“I thought it was fun, it was special, it was good,” Serena said.

“We were starting to feel it. It was really cool to be able to do this again.”

The sisters would need wildcards to play either singles or doubles at the US Open, which begins on Sunday, 30 August.

Serena – who described her knee injury as “a little traumatic experience, but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” – has only played one singles match since her return.

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Venus has lost her past 13 singles matches but has had more success in the doubles, reaching the quarter-finals of the women’s tournament in New York last year.

At their peak, they won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together and three Olympic gold medals.

In the singles, world number two Elena Rybakina beat Magdalena Frech 6-4 7-6 (7-2) either side of a lengthy rain delay to reach the fourth round.

Australian Open champion Rybakina could replace Aryna Sabalenka at the top of the world rankings in Cincinnati.

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Rybakina must reach the final, external to have a chance at surpassing Sabalenka. If Sabalenka reaches the quarter-finals, Rybakina would need to win the title to become world number one.

Canadian Open champion Iga Swiatek shook off a poor first set to beat Greece’s Maria Sakarri 4-6 6-1 6-1, while third seed Jessica Pegula beat fellow American Emma Navarro 7-5 6-2.

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5 most interesting Phantom Blade Zero gameplay details revealed at State of Play

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With the State of Play trailer, we now have more information about Phantom Blade Zero. This involves stuff about the world, the plot, why Donnie Yen is here, and, of course, the combat. The game has been described as “dark Wuxia action game”, which involves a lot of martial arts set in a world of darkness. Then again, the protagonist goes by the name Soul so that is to be expected.

So here’s the things that stood out to us about the game after watching the State of Play.


Phantom Blade Zero: What players need to know

1) Donnie Yen of Ip Man fame is a consultant

Donnie Yen plays a key role behind the scenes of Phantom Blade Zero (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)Donnie Yen plays a key role behind the scenes of Phantom Blade Zero (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Donnie Yen plays a key role behind the scenes of Phantom Blade Zero (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

The combat in the game will implement traits of Mó Yuan, courtesy of the creative consultant Donnie Yen. He will also provide motion capture for the combat allowing the game to feel more realistic. As such, the gameplay will feel like the player is taking part in a kung fu movie where they get to control the action.

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Also read: 5 new things you need to know about Marvel’s Wolverine


2) There are a lot of weapons

You will have a lot of choice when it comes to weapons (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)You will have a lot of choice when it comes to weapons (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)
You will have a lot of choice when it comes to weapons (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

As per the developers, there are 30 main weapons for players to use in Phantom Blade Zero. However, that’s not all as there are 25 secondary weapons called Phantom Edges as well. All of these can be upgraded over time and used alongside different accessories. Additionally, if you choose to change up your build, you will be able to reforge and get those materials back.

Also read: PlayStation’s no-disc move cites “consumer trends”, asks you to trust them while showing you probably can’t


3) There are multiple difficulty options to pick from

The difficulty levels in this game have been given creative alternate titles (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)The difficulty levels in this game have been given creative alternate titles (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)
The difficulty levels in this game have been given creative alternate titles (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

For players looking to just experience the story of Phantom Blade Zero without bashing their heads against a wall, they should pick Wayfarer Mode. However, for players wanting a bit more of a challenge, the developers have provided. There’s Hellwalker, which thanks to its spike in difficulty, is akin to hell. Even beyond that, there’s Sixty-Six Days which is the highest difficulty in the game

As to why the hardest difficulty is named as such, well that has to do with the plot of Phantom Blade Zero.

Also read: How to complete Phantom Blade Zero pre-order video quest (and claim a reward)

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4) The protagonist has only sixty-six days to live

Soul is back to life for sixty six days (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)Soul is back to life for sixty six days (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Soul is back to life for sixty six days (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

From what we have learned about the plot, it revolves around a legendary fighter called Soul. He is framed for murdering his clan’s leader, leading to him being ostracized and killed by his blood brother from childhood. A witch brings him back to life…but only for sixty-six days. So he’s on borrowed time as he tries to sort everything out and find why he was betrayed in the first place.

Also read: Best late-game strategies for Sandustry


5) The enemies come in all sorts of strange forms

The enemies in Phantom Blade Zero are creative to say the least (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)The enemies in Phantom Blade Zero are creative to say the least (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)
The enemies in Phantom Blade Zero are creative to say the least (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

The State of Play showcased multiple amazing enemies for Soul to fight against in Phantom Blade Zero. We have skeletal horseman, giant baby mask wearing enemies, circular saw headed enemies, and many more. Some of these are fallen warriors who have given in to the darkness, while others are more garden variety monsters that you will have to take down.