Final thoughts
So, Serena Williams remains on course for a seventh Australian Open title, despite an outing that was far her most fluent. Of most concern will be her first serve (she ended the match with 45% having gone in) and that is something she will, by her own admission, have to work on before she gets onto court for the quarter-final – her 10th straight at grand slams.
Otherwise, there were glimpses of Serena the destroyer, though not too many, yet she still had enough to see off what was a decent enough challenge from Strýcová. Tougher assignments for Serena will come this tournament, but with some work over the next 24 hours, she still looms as the hot favourite to go all the way in Melbourne.
Next up for her is either Johanna Konta or Ekaterina Makarova, who are currently warming up on Margaret Court Arena. We’ll have Kevin Mitchell’s match report on that one later on, but from me, for now, it’s goodbye.
Here’s Serena, during her court-side interview: “She’s a really smart player. She can do everything . She can run, come to net, pretty much everything. It was s tough match and I’m glad I got through it.
“It’s good to know I have a plan B. I wasn’t serving my greatest today. I know I can do better with my serve.
“I love pressure. I feel I deal well with pressure. I have nothing to lose, I’m out here having fun.”
Williams wins the second set and the match!
Second set: *Barbora Strýcová 5-7, 4-6 Serena Williams (*denotes server) There it is! Williams wins through to another Australian Open quarter-final! It’s a great game to end proceedings, featuring excellent play from both players, not least an effort by Strýcová at 15-15, when she reaches down to stab a backhand back over the net. A wry grin indicates there was possibly an element of luck involved in that one, but she gets a clap from Serena anyway. It’s Serena who’s all smiles soon after though, as she claims victory when Strýcová can only return into the net. Final thoughts to follow.
Updated
Second set: Barbora Strýcová 5-7, 4-5 Serena Williams* (*denotes server) This one’s not over yet! Strýcová hangs in there as she pounces on Serena’s drop shot from the baseline to level at 15-15 and then moves to 40-15 when Williams hits a couple of loose baseline shots. The world No2 smashes an overhead at the net to save the first break point but the pressure tells on the next point and we’re back on serve in the second. Serena with 45 unforced errors now, to Strýcová’s 13.
Second set: *Barbora Strýcová 5-7, 3-5 Serena Williams (*denotes server) It’s Serena’s turn to let out a frustrated scream early on in this next game and Strýcová goes on to secure a rapid-fire service game, to love. But the hope may be brief: Serena will now serve for a place in the next round.
Second set: Barbora Strýcová 5-7, 2-5 Serena Williams* (*denotes server) The sun is in Serena’s eyes when she serves this game as we approach 1pm local time but the American stays focused and moves to within one game of the match. On the final point, Strýcová shows her frustration by sinking to her knees and letting out a huge scream, having set up the point nicely only to hit the ball out. That would have brought her back to deuce, but as it is, the Czech will now serve to stay in the match.
Second set: *Barbora Strýcová 5-7, 2-4 Serena Williams (*denotes server) Strýcová hangs in there with a hold. In comparison to Serena, the Czech’s first serve percentage is currently at 67%, and she has won 51% of those first service points, to Serena’s 59%.
Second set: Barbora Strýcová 5-7, 1-4 Serena Williams* (*denotes server) You get the feeling that Serena now has one Nike trainer in the next round. Her first serve still isn’t great (currently 46%) but the rest of her game is finally clicking. She holds serve and is two games away from a place in the quarter-final, where, by the way, the winner of Johanna Konta’s match with Ekaterina Makarova awaits.
Around the grounds: Australia’s Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua have just defeated the German-Czech pairing of Anna-Lena Grönefeld and Kveta Peschke, taking their third round doubles clash 6-4, 6-4.
Updated
Second set: *Barbora Strýcová 5-7, 1-3 Serena Williams (*denotes server) Williams has her opponent running all over the baseline early on this game and – possibly after stretching to reach a few balls during that point - the Czech is seen giving the base of her back a little massage. That said, the Czech manages to get into a game-winning position but Serena then wins what is arguably the point of the day as both players reach several difficult balls to keep the point going. But then there are signs that Serena is finally beginning to find her range as first she runs around a forehand to hammer a winner back past Strýcová and then she hits a huge backhand to bring up game point. And when Strýcová finds the net on the next point, Serena has a hard-earned break.
Updated
Second set: Barbora Strýcová 5-7, 1-2 Serena Williams* (*denotes server) Some big hitting punctuates this game, but Strýcová also has a cuter side to her game, as demonstrated at 15-40 down, when a neatly-executed drop shot brings her back into things. But a loud shriek from Serena a point later signals a release of pure power and even if you’re not watching the match, you know she’s hit a winner. Boom. On serve this second set.
Updated
Second set: *Barbora Strýcová 5-7, 1-1 Serena Williams (*denotes server) Well done Strýcová. She responds in the perfect way to hold her own service game. Nothing much to separate this pair in terms of points won so far today: 43 to Strýcová and 45 to Williams.
Second set: Barbora Strýcová 5-7, 0-1 Serena Williams* (*denotes server) No hiccups for Serena as she begins this second set with a confident hold. Strýcová will have to be wary now as Serena begins to flex her muscles – when she does, as we all know, she’s nearly impossible to counter.
Williams wins the first set!
First set: *Barbora Strýcová 5-7 Serena Williams (*denotes server) Strýcová challenges a call midway through the game, but it’s more out of desperation than anything – at 15-love down she knows it’s a crucial point. Technology confirms her effort was out, and Serena then brings up another three set points with an outrageous return that somehow gets past the Czech and lands on the line. Incredibly, she saves all three (the third with a brilliantly cute dink over the net that Serena cannot return), making it seven set points saved by her so far today. Oof, but a glorious backhand winner from Serena soon brings up a fourth for this game and this time, finally, she makes it count, albeit with a fair does of fortune when she kind of shanks her return from the baseline yet it still makes it over the net, just, and Strýcová doesn’t react quick enough. It’s not the best set of tennis she’s ever played, I think it’s fair to say that, but Serena leads 1-love, 55 minutes into this match.
Updated
First set: Barbora Strýcová 5-6 Serena Williams* (*denotes server) Serena now manages to do what neither player has been able to so far today: she serves out a quick-fire game, which includes her second ace of the match. And again, the pressure is on Strýcová, who must hold serve to stay in this first set once more.
Updated
First set: *Barbora Strýcová 5-5 Serena Williams (*denotes server) Perhaps Strýcová’s concentration is broken by the loud whirring of a helicopter that keeps passing overhead throughout this game, or maybe that’s just the way she’s serving today, but either way she has to save numerous break points – only a couple of poor backhands from Serena – the first into the net and the second long at the baseline – and then a classic serve and volley from Strýcová keeps the Czech in this first set. And she goes on to hold. To note though: two forehands in particular from Serena this game suggest she’s finally beginning to get her timing right, at least on that forehand side.
Updated
First set: Barbora Strýcová 4-5 Serena Williams* (*denotes server) OK, that’s better from Serena as she blasts a forehand winner back past Strýcová, who can’t get anywhere near the ball, such was the ferocity with which it was hit. And then, the rarest of things today – an ace! An actual ace, the first one for either player! Serena goes on to hold and for pretty much the first time this match, that was more like the Serena Williams we know. Strýcová will now serve to stay in the set, and we know how that’s gone so far today...
Updated
First set: *Barbora Strýcová 4-4 Serena Williams (*denotes server) After that most brief period of serving superiority, we’re back in the same groove as earlier, with Strýcová this time failing to capitalise on her previous break. The Czech manages to save the first break point she faces, with the cutest of cute lobs over Serena, but her radar is out on the next soon after and Serena gets back on level terms. We’re yet to see the best of either player so far, but in particular Serena’s lack of fluidity is noticeable.
Updated
First set: Barbora Strýcová 4-3 Serena Williams* (*denotes server) Back to type as Serena is broken again, but the whole serving thing isn’t just of concern for the players. It is (rightly, it has to be said) causing consternation among readers. David Hale: “Can’t you guys just agree on one way of representing the Server in the scoring. It drives me crazy because it’s soooo stupid that you won’t bother to choose one way. * for Server or Next server .... JUST PICK ONE!!!” Apologies David, entirely my fault, should be fixed now. I’m going for “denotes server” for the purposes of this blog.
Updated
First set: *Barbora Strýcová 3-3 Serena Williams (*denotes server) OK, now we’re properly up and running out there on Rod Laver. Strýcová claims her first service hold of the day, to 15, and including a fantastic forehand winner to bring up game point. Things are bubbling along nicely now.
Updated
First set: Barbora Strýcová 2-3 Serena Williams* (*denotes server) Hang on, what’s this? Serena finally finds her range and holds serve for the first time this match, to nudge ahead. It’s now up to Strýcová to raise her service game if she’s to stick with Williams this opening set. We’ve had a grand total of five winners so far, which tells its own story really. Strýcová with one of those, Serena with four.
Updated
First set: *Barbora Strýcová 2-2 Serena Williams (*denotes server) More of the same in the fourth game as Serena hands the baton to Strýcová. The Czech, like her opponent in the previous game, fails to win a point and we’re all square at two games apiece. This is nearing levels of serving incompetence regularly seen in my local park, where serving is seen as a disadvantage, rather than an advantage.
Updated
First set: Barbora Strýcová 2-1 Serena Williams* (*denotes server) Well, Serena can’t do any better when serving this time around and the world No2 fails to hold once again. She races to the net but volleys out at the baseline to drop the game to love. Neither woman has been able to find their range while serving yet, and it’s all been a bit of scrappy so far, lacking any kind of fluency.
Updated
First set: *Barbora Strýcová 1-1 Serena Williams (*denotes server) Serena hits her first winner of the day to put a touch of pressure on Strýcová at 15-30 and it shows as Strýcová goes on to be broken in her first service game. No problems for Serena there, facing serve. Let’s see what she can do now with the ball in her hand again.
Updated
First set: Barbora Strýcová 1-0 Serena Williams* (*denotes server) Here we go! Serena, wearing a black and white dress with just a flash of pink on her sponsor’s logo, and black leggings, gets things under way while Strýcová, in an aqua marine outfit with pink shoes, receives. And it’s the Czech who starts the more composed. Serena looks sluggish as she tries to find her groove and falls to 0-40. She saves the first break point she faces as Strýcová goes long on a return, but the American can’t repeat the feat on the next point, returning a well-placed Strýcová forehand, right into the court of the court, into the net. What a start for the underdog!
Updated
The toss has been conducted (Serena won, and elected to serve first) and with the introductions and warm-ups now out the way, we’ll be up and running very shortly.
By the way, these two have met just twice before, both times back in 2012 – Serena won both times, here, at Melbourne Park (6-0, 6-4), and at Wimbledon (6-2, 6-4).
Preamble
Hello and welcome. The players are in the tunnel and about to enter Rod Laver Arena to kick off day eight and the second week of play at this Australian Open, with an 11am (local) start time scheduled. That’s 7pm in New York, midnight in London, and many other times across the rest of the globe. It looks like it’s another sunny day in Melbourne (32 degrees already, with a high of 35 today, according to the Google weather bureau), and that means neither women will want to hang around too long on court this morning.
Serena, the 22-times grand slam champion and six-times winner at Melbourne Park, in particular will be hoping to race through this one: with Angelique Kerber now gone, the American is favourite to go all the way and take out her seventh Australian Open crown. A quick no-frills fourth round win will do her today.
She goes into this clash expecting and expected to add Strýcová, the Czech 16th seed, to her list of victims. That’s on paper, at least. But as Kerber, Simona Halep and Agnieszka Radwańska have found out this tournament, rankings, form and seedings aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. It’s been a bonkers tournament so far, in the men’s draw too, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that nothing is a foregone conclusion at Melbourne Park.
While I’ve been writing that, the players have made their way out onto court so all that’s left to say before play gets under way is please do get in touch: mike.hytner@theguardian.com is the email address if you’re game, @mike_hytner on Twitter. Let’s do this!
Mike will be here shortly. While you’re waiting, have a read of this: Kevin Mitchell on the Federer fairytale. It’s on!
Updated
