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Australian Open 2017: Serena Williams beats Barbora Strycova

Six-time champion Serena Williams overcame stern resistance from Czech 16th seed Barbora Strycova to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

The American top seed, 35, fell a break of serve down three times in the first set but came through 7-5 6-4.

Williams goes on to face Britain's Johanna Konta or Russian Ekaterina Makarova in the last eight.

"She's a really smart player - she can do pretty much everything," Williams said of Strycova.

"It was a really good match for me and I'm glad I came through it."

Williams was under pressure on serve more than usual with a first-serve percentage of just 45%.