Day five of the 2014 Australian Open got underway with world number one Serena Williams taking on Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova on Rod Laver Arena.
Hantuchova, seeded 31st, had not gone beyond round three at the Melbourne Grand Slam since 2008, when she went all the way to the semi-finals.
To break that run she would have to beat a five-time champion in fine form. Would she be able to, or would the Williams juggernaut prove too powerful? Find out by revisiting the action with Sports Mole's blow-by-blow text updates below.
Thanks for joining Sports Mole on day five of a scorching Australian Open. It is currently 37° in Melbourne, but the roof is open.
Serena Williams and Daniela Hantuchova are due on court in around 10 minutes. The pair are meeting for the ninth time on Tour...
HEAD TO HEAD: Hantuchova has won just one of those nine matches, but there’s a glimmer of hope for the Slovak, as that victory came at THIS stage of THIS tournament back in 2006. Ominous? Probably not. Serena has won five in a row since then.
Williams has been ruthlessly efficient in her two Melbourne matches so far this week, dropping just six games in total during her straight-sets victories over Ashleigh Barty and Vesna Dolonc.
The combined length of Serena’s first two matches is exactly two hours, meaning that she has been on court for 227 minutes less than Hantuchova, who took 154 minutes to beat Heather Watson 7-5 3-6 6-3 and 193 minutes to see off Karolina Pliskova 6-3 3-6 12-10.
So, Williams should be much fresher and she has a big upper hand in the head-to-head. It's therefore no surprise that the bookmakers have made the American a huge favourite...
The best available odds on a Williams win are 1-50, while hopeful punters can back Hantuchova at 25-1. Most bookies even make Serena a marginal favourite with a 7.5-point handicap.
PREDICTION: I think Serena will make light work of Hantuchova and just beat that handicap with another comprehensive and quick win in straight sets.
Serena has won the toss. She will serve first...
The top seed wins the first two points of the match, before two backhand unforced errors level the opening game at 30-30. Hantuchova's backhand then misfires, handing Williams game point, which she converts with the match's first ace.
Williams is fairly passive and flat-footed in Hantuchova's opening service game, producing four tame errors, which see the Slovak to hold to love.
TWO BREAK POINTS FOR HANTUCHOVA! Serena's sluggish start continues...
TWO BREAK POINTS SAVED! Serena levels at deuce, saving the first break point with a sliced volley at the net, before negotiating the second with a meaty ace down the T.
The American holds to 40! Hantuchova sends a forehand just long, before Williams's third ace of the day wraps up game three.
After racing into a 40-0 lead, Hantuchova loses her first service point of the match, shortly followed by her second. However, Williams then shanks a backhand wide, as her opponent holds to 30.
Williams gets herself in a hole at 0-30, but two missed Hantuchova forehands level the game before consecutive Serena aces seal a hold to 30. Hantuchova will be kicking herself. She has now led 15-40 and 0-30 against the Serena serve without earning a break. The American has been far from at her best so far, but she hasn't been punished.
TWO BREAK POINTS FOR WILLIAMS! On her second serve, Hantuchova makes a mess of her ball toss, losing sight of the object with the sun in her eyes. As a result, she produces a nasty double fault to give Serena a big opportunity.
WILLIAMS BREAKS! She makes no mistake, converting at the first time of asking as Hantuchova slaps a backhand into the net. Serena is 1/1 on break points. Her opponent is 0/2.
Make that 0/3! WILLIAMS SAVES ANOTHER BREAK POINT and then holds to 40 courtesy of some brutal power hitting. Hantuchova must now serve to stay in the set.
Impressive hold to 30 by Hantuchova, who seals the game with a two-handed backhand winner. Serena will now serve for the set.
From 15-15, Williams double faults and then drives a forehand low into the net... TWO BREAK POINTS FOR HANTUCHOVA!
WILLIAMS WINS THE FIRST SET! The American has been well below her best so far today, but she has certainly delivered on the big points. She reels off four in a row, including two more aces, to take the opener after 38 minutes.
FIRST SET STATS:
Total points won
Williams: 31
Hantuchova: 26
Winners
Williams: 16
Hantuchova: 5
Unforced errors
Williams: 9
Hantuchova: 7
Net points
Williams: 4/9
Hantuchova: 0/1
Aces
Williams: 8
Hantuchova: a
Double faults
Williams: 1
Hantuchovai: 1
Receiving points won
Williams: 8/21 (38%)
Hantuchova: 13/36 (36%)
Hantuchova has left court for a comfort break. She will serve to start the second set when she returns.
Awful start to the second set for Hantuchova, as WILLIAMS BREAKS! Two backhand errors and a double fault move Serena 15-40 in front. She then maintains her 100% conversation rate (2/2) when Hantuchova cracks a fizzing backhand off target.
Serena consolidates her break by holding to 15.
It would have been easy for Hantuchova to capitulate, but she keeps herself together and holds to 30, hitting an ace and a glorious backhand winner in the process.
Serena hits a huge unforced forehand error to fall 15-30 behind. She then has a stern word with herself before stringing together three consecutive points to hold to 30.
A dreadful game from Williams sees Hantuchova hold to 15. I apologise to anyone who took notice of my prediction and bet on Serena to win the game handicap. The only way that can happen now is if Hantuchova wins this set in a tie-break and then loses the decider 6-0. You never know...
YOU NEVER KNOW! THREE BREAK POINTS FOR HANTUCHOVA!
HANTUCHOVA BREAKS TO LOVE! The second set is back on serve and Williams looks a little rattled.
A crucial net cord goes in favour of Serena, whose sliced return just clips the net, catching Hantuchova by surprise. The Slovak made a real mess of that in truth and it could cost her dearly. 15-30.
WILLIAMS BREAKS TO 15! Hantuchova's lapse is punished as the American makes it 3/3 on break points.
Serena takes her ace count to 10 by hitting two more en route to holding to 15. She is now just one game away from round four.
After donating an unforced error to Hantuchova at the start of game nine, Williams reels off three points in a row to bring up TWO SET POINTS!
TWO SET POINTS SAVED! Williams twice swings and misses with her backhand. 40-40.
GAME SET AND MATCH WILLIAMS! A third set point comes and goes as the players exchange backhand errors. However, Williams earns a fourth match point, which she converts with a lovely forehand pass.
RECORD-BREAKER! Serena Williams has now won 61 singles matches at the Australian Open, which is more than any other player past or present.
Standing in the shade, victorious Serena, who will be in doubles action with sister Venus later today, says: "It's certainly hot, but you have to play."
FINAL STATS:
Match time: 80 minutes
Total points won
Williams: 60
Hantuchova: 48
Winners
Williams: 25
Hantuchova: 10
Unforced errors
Williams: 21
Hantuchova: 19
Net points
Williams: 4/12
Hantuchova: 1/3
Aces
Williams: 10
Hantuchova: 2
Double faults
Williams: 2
Hantuchovai: 2
Receiving points won
Williams: 25/52 (48%)
Hantuchova: 21/56 (38%)
Serena will play either Sam Stosur or Ana Ivanovic in round four.
That concludes the live coverage of this match, but stick with Sports Mole because we will have commentaries on Denis Istomin vs. Novak Djokovic and Tommy Robredo vs. Richard Gasquet later today.
Written by
Robert Summerscales
Robert Summerscales
