NEW YORK, United States (AFP)-Venus Williams prolonged her stay at the US Open on Monday, partnering Leylah Fernandez to reach her first Grand Slam doubles quarter-final in nearly a decade.

The 45-year-old American tennis icon and Fernandez, who was born three years after Williams won the first of her 14 Grand Slam doubles titles in 1999, defeated Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova and China’s Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-4.

It is the first time Williams has reached a Grand Slam doubles quarter-final since 2016.

Williams is playing in the doubles after receiving a last-minute invitation from US Open organisers to play in the tournament she won twice alongside younger sister Serena.

The Williams-Fernandez pair could face top seeds Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic and American Taylor Townsend in the quarter-finals.

The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion returned to competition at the end of July at the Washington Open after sixteen months away from the WTA Tour.

She indicated after her singles defeat that the US Open would likely be her last tournament of the season.