Hello and welcome to our live coverage from day eight of the Australian Open.

Updated 23/01/2017 at 09:25 GMT

B. Strýcová

S. Williams

BARBORA STRYCOVA 5-7 1-4 SERENA WILLIAMS: Serena consolidates the break with a hold to 15. Air of inevitability to the match now.

B. Strýcová

S. Williams

BARBORA STRYCOVA 5-7 1-3 SERENA WILLIAMS: Serena exerting increasing pressure on the Strycova serve, here, and while Strycova is doing well to trade with the American great, Serena takes the first break opportunity of the second stanza.

B. Strýcová

S. Williams

BARBORA STRYCOVA 5-7 1-2 SERENA WILLIAMS: Serena holds again with a tremendous backhand, and it is looking increasingly likely that Strycova will live to regret not capitalising on the breaks in the first set.

B. Strýcová

S. Williams

BARBORA STRYCOVA 5-7 1-1 SERENA WILLIAMS: Strycova holds to level the second set. Two games in and Serena is already up to seven unforced errors after 23 in the previous set.

BARBORA STRYCOVA 5-7 0-1 SERENA WILLIAMS: It is an easy hold for Serena to open the next set.

B. Strýcová

S. Williams

BARBORA STRYCOVA 5-7 SERENA WILLIAMS: Serena gets over the line courtesy of a rather fortuitous mishit drop shot. She was a break down three times but emerges with the one-set lead. Hard to see a way back from Strycova here.

B. Strýcová

S. Williams

BARBORA STRYCOVA 5-6 SERENA WILLIAMS: It is an easy hold to 15 for Serena and Strycova again serves to stay in the first stanza.

B. Strýcová

S. Williams

BARBORA STRYCOVA 5-5 SERENA WILLIAMS: Strycova has been up a break three times in this opening set yet finds herself serving to stay in it. However, credit to her, she fends off four set points and stays alive in the first set courtesy of a lovely forehand passing shot.

B. Strýcová

S. Williams

That is right folks, the winner of this match faces a potential clash with Jo Konta.

B. Strýcová

S. Williams

BARBORA STRYCOVA 4-5 SERENA WILLIAMS: Serena getting her eye in now and finding her range but Strycova gets to deuce. Serena hammers down an ace before a lob goes long from the Czech star to put Serena one game away from the set.

B. Strýcová

S. Williams

BARBORA STRYCOVA 4-4 SERENA WILLIAMS: Serena continues to look off the pace here but manages to get the break back. She is starting to get some joy with the shot to Strycova’s backhand side, and breaks right back. “Come on,” she shouts.

B. Strýcová

S. Williams

BARBORA STRYCOVA 4-3 SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh wow. Serena is again broken. That is 14 unforced errors from Serena.

B. Strýcová

S. Williams

BARBORA STRYCOVA 3-3 SERENA WILLIAMS: Some more unforced errors from Serena before Strycova comes out on top of the first rally of the match. They are starting to trade now and Serena emerges from a 16-stroke rally but then nets again and Strycova holds to 15.

B. Strýcová

S. Williams

BARBORA STRYCOVA 2-3 SERENA WILLIAMS: Serena looked like she had found her range early in the fifth game as she harangued Strycova around the court to take a 15-0 lead. She then nets a regulation forehand. Neither player quite at it yet but Serena draws on all her experience to hold serve. The first hold of the match.

B. Strýcová

S. Williams

BARBORA STRYCOVA 2-2 SERENA WILLIAMS: Blimey! Four breaks of serve and we are all even.

B. Strýcová

S. Williams

BARBORA STRYCOVA 2-1 SERENA WILLIAMS: It is errors aplenty as Strycova breaks again. Strycova has hit one winner thus far, and has two breaks. Serena has fired down seven unforced errors.

B. Strýcová

S. Williams

BARBORA STRYCOVA 1-1 SERENA WILLIAMS: Quick start here with a break each to get us started.

00:05

First up, it is Barbora Strycova against Serena-Williams on Rod Laver.