AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Venue: Melbourne Park Date: 19 January-1 February
Coverage: BBC Red Button, BBC One & Two (including all Andy Murray matches), Radio 5 Live sports extra, BBC Sport website (Red Button coverage streamed on website throughout fortnight)
Saturday: Murray v Melzer live on BBC2 (streamed on website for UK users only) and BBC 5 Live sports extra from 0830 GMT. Highlights on BBC1 at 1300 GMT

Williams had a shaky start to the second set but recovered

An uneven performance from Serena Williams proved enough to beat China's Peng Shuai and reach the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday.

Unseeded Peng twice broke Williams in the second set, but the American second seed eventually battled to a somewhat unconvincing 6-1 6-4 victory.

Fourth seed Elena Dementieva beat local hope Samantha Stosur 7-6 6-4 to make it six Russian women in the last 16.

Russian eighth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Alona Bondarenko 7-6 (9-7) 6-4.

There was better luck for Peng's compatriot Jie Zheng, seeded 22nd, who tore through the younger Ukrainian Bondarenko sister, Kateryna, winning 6-2 6-2.

Similarly, Carla Suarez Navarro, conqueror of Venus Williams in the second round, continued her impressive Australian Open debut.

She triumphed 6-1 6-3 against fellow unseeded Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, and will face another Spanish competitor - Anabel Medina Garrigues - in the last 16.

I'm feeling a little rusty, for whatever reason. I'm hoping my next round I'll be a little better Serena Williams

Medina Garrigues, seeded 21st, comfortably beat Italian 12th seed Flavia Pennetta 6-4 6-1.

Williams initially exhibited complete control over Peng and, with the first set over in well under half an hour, looked to be heading for a straightforward victory in the Rod Laver Arena.

However, forehand errors crept into her second set, affording Peng opportunities to break, which she seized.

Peng held serve in the fourth game to take an unlikely 3-1 lead but, although hardly on top form, Williams began to up her game.

The Chinese 23-year-old made up for her tiring serve with defiant determination, but the raw power of the three-time Australian Open champion eventually told.

"She started playing really well and getting a lot of balls back and it was a really good match for me to play," said Williams.

"I'm feeling a little rusty, for whatever reason. I'm hoping my next round I'll be a little better."

Williams added that defeat in the second round for sister Venus, who was seeded sixth, had "obviously increased my motivation and my desire to win".

Williams will now play Belarusian 13th seed Victoria Azarenka, who beat French 20th seed Amelie Mauresmo 6-4 6-2.

Mauresmo, who won the Australian Open in 2006 when her semi-final and final opponents both retired injured, put up a brave fight but struggled to hold her own serve against an in-form opponent 10 years her junior.

Azarenka broke six of Mauresmo's nine service games as she cruised to victory in 87 minutes.

"It's been a tough match, we've had a lot of breaks and deuces and advantages," said Azarenka.

"I'm just happy I managed to stay in there and win the important points and games."

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