Serena marches on to reach fourth round

Serena Williams gave compatriot Nicole Gibbs a lesson in grand slam tennis with a 6-1 6-3 towelling to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday.

Having passed her earlier tests against more accomplished players, Williams had far too many weapons for the 92nd-ranked Gibbs, who appeared overawed by the occasion on a sun-drenched Rod Laver Arena.

Williams suffered a brief lapse when serving for the match at 5-2 and was broken for the first time, but she promptly broke back to close out the one-sided contest in just over an hour.

Williams next faces Czech 16th seed Barbora Strycova for a place in the quarter-finals.