Standard Serena Fare

The fifth day at the 2014 Australian Open promised the hottest day so far, something to which we all really looking forward.  Not.
Serena Williams has a positive head to head record with anyone you would like to name and with third round opponent Daniela Hantuchova, it stood at 8-1, the only loss being a third round at the 2006 Australian Open.  That would not repeat itself, because as well as the number 31 seed may play it would not reach a standard high enough to match Serena.

The world number one was first to serve and with the best serve in tennis managed to hold comfortably.  Daniela served even better, giving no chance for Serena to dominate a point.  A love game and it was 1-1.
Surprisingly it was Hantuchova who achieved the initial break point opportunity in the third game thanks mainly to some rare Williams mistakes.  What has become as predictable as the sun rising is the ability of Serena to serve her way out of trouble, and she did just that to lead 2-1.  Daniela marched straight on with another emphatic hold of serve, winning most of the extended rallies and forcing Serena into low percentage plays.
Although she had been holding serve, as she did again to lead 3-2, there had been little of the authority that Serena routinely imposes on matches.

That came in the very next game, as Serena punished the Daniela serve and suddenly leading 4-2, appeared deadly.  The sleeping giant had awoken.  It just took a couple more rings of the alarm than usual.
Hantuchova still hung around being a nuisance, setting up a break point in the next game with excellent groundstrokes generated from the baseline.  On most occasions, Serena saves break points with good serving and the ace here was a fair example of good serving.

Even when serving for the set, Daniela irritated Serena by asking her to save break points, and again the community minded number one obliged, thrilling us all with down the middle consecutive aces, before a neat drop shot closed out the set 6-3.

Content but not jumping for joy - the temperature having much to do with that - Serena watched much of the first game in Set Two, watched as Daniela made a complete mess of her serve, leaving it for Serena to pick up the pieces and assemble into a service break.
With a simple hold, Serena led 6-3 2-0
For some reason Daniela didn't go away, instead staying, hoping that one day the Serena serve may falter.
For now it did not and games went with serve until it reached 3-2.

Serena then did lose her serve and  games were 3-3.  The Hantuchova charge lasted for just that game and the American then organised an exit strategy for her which I thought showed great sportsmanship,

Serena Williams into the 4th round 6-3 6-3