Serena Williams remains on course for her sixth Australian Open title after a comfortable win over Dominika Cibulkova in the last eight.
The world number one needed three sets to come through her previous two matches but from the first point, it was one-way traffic against the 11th seed.
Two breaks of serve in each set were enough to see Williams win 6-2 6-2 to set up a semi-final contest with 19-year-old Madison Keys.
Read below to see how the action unfolded on the Rod Laver Arena.
Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the match in the Australian Open quarter-final between Serena Williams and Dominika Cibulkova.
After a bit of a delay, we are finally read for the fourth and final women's quarter-finals. Serena Williams has just witnessed her sister bow out of the tournament, but she needs to be focused right from the off against Dominika Cibulkova, who has enjoyed a fine tournament after making the final last year.
Whoever does prevail will have some task on their hands to overcome Madison Keys in the semi-final. She may have been hindered by a thigh injury but she still had enough to dismantle Venus Williams's serve to run out a three-set victor. You can read the full report of that match by clicking here.
The warmups are done and we are ready to get going on the Rod Laver Arena. It will be Cibulkova to serve first.
After winning the opening point, Cibulkova throws in a very nervy-looking double fault but a timely first serve helps her to 30-15. Serena looks a tad sluggish as she dumps a backhand into the net but she benefits again from a Cibulkova double fault. However, the diminutive Slovakian forces the error out of her opponent to seal the first game.
Serena looks to be hitting freely when she gets into a rally but she fails to seal a love hold when missing with a routine forehand. The American makes a second error on the next point but she eventually comes through with a hold to 30.
BREAK! Serena is all over a couple of serves, hitting through the ball to leave Cibulkova floundering on the baseline. The 2014 runner-up responds with a forehand winner of her own but it's two break points to Serena when Cibulkova goes long. The top seed is having plenty of joy on the return and she edges in front with another well-struck forehand.
Dare I say it but Serena is looking powerful here. Cibulkova is working hard at the opposite end of the court and she does get back to 30-30, but Serena raises a fist after a shot-perfect rally ends with a cross-court forehand. Break consolidated.
BREAK! It's important that Cibulkova finds a way to hold in this game but despite moving 30-15 ahead, Serena's power is on show again as she leathers a forehand return into the opposite corner of the court. Cibulkova then goes long from the baseline to concede the double break and it's one-way traffic on the Rod Laver Arena.
There's a ruthlessness about Serena today and she isn't prepared to let up. A love hold is complete when Cibulkova hooks a backhand return out of court and the Slovakian will serve to remain in the opening set.
Much better from Cibulkova, who drives a forehand towards the baseline for a 30-0 lead but Serena is middling every second serve that comes her way and she halves the deficit. The 11th seed doesn't wilt though and she holds to 30 to force Serena to serve for the set.
Cibulkova edges 0-15 and 15-30 ahead but on each occasion, Serena sends down an ace. She gets to set point with a third, before she completes the set with a fourth down the middle. Astonishing power.
BREAK! Serena has hit eight aces and 16 winners so far. Not bad, huh? The world number one begins the second set with successive points to earn 0-30 but Cibulkova responds with an ace. However, Serena brings up two break points but a couple of confident points from her opponent take the game to deuce. That belief may have disappeared with two shots into the net though, and Serena keeps up her momentum.
Serena opens with an ace but Cibulkova, who has shown no let up in her work-rate, is encouraged at 15-30. She has a good play in the next rally but Serena is extremely fortunate when the ball hits the tape and drops over. It could be one of those days for Cibulkova. Serena holds to 30 with a second-serve that isn't returned.
Cibulkova finds the line with a risky forehand, but she has less luck when going for too much on the next point. Serena is almost too relaxed when attempting a drop shot - it barely reaches the net - and she lets out a shriek after the next rally after missing an easy forehand. Cibulkova holds to 15 to at least stay competitive in this match, but it's a long, long way back against a player that she has never beaten in four attempts.
The intensity from Serena has lowered in the last few minutes while Cibulkova looks determined to make something happen. The 11th seed hits a forehand winner for 15-30 before connecting with an audacious volley at the net for two break points. HUGE response from Serena, though, who rattles off four consecutive points - two aces, a unreturned first serve and a backhand winner - to re-open her two-game margin.
I will say it again - Cibulkova is working so hard at the back of the court - but most of the time, it's not paying off as Serena imposes herself on each point. A forehand winner takes Serena to 30-30, but a couple of mistakes means that the American's advantage remains at just the one break.
Serena still has the cough that she has been carrying all week but it doesn't stop another two aces and one unreturned serve helping her to a 40-0 lead. Cibulkova gets on the board but only briefly after striking a second-serve return out of the court.
BREAK! Much of Serena's performance has been about her hitting from the back of the court, but she ends two points in a row with a well-timed volley. Cibulkova gets back to 30-30 but another return winner brings up the chance of a double break. A lucky net cord results in the Slovakian saving it, but when Serena creates a second, she strikes to move a game away from the last four.
MATCH! A third double fault from Serena gives Cibulkova a glimmer of a chance at 15-15, but that's all it is. Serena quickly brings up two match points and after her opponent miscues a return long, she can celebrate a very impressive win.
A straight-sets victory in little more than an hour with 15 aces and four breaks of serve. Just what the doctor ordered for Serena Williams, who completely dismantled Dominika Cibulkova today. She will now play Madison Keys, which has every chance of being a classic, providing Keys can recover from the thigh injury she picked up earlier today.
That will be all from this match, but we hope that you can stick around for the match between Stanislas Wawrinka and Stanislas Wawrinka which is coming up shortly. Goodbye for now.
Written by
Darren Plant
Darren Plant
