1437: Warm applause as Cibulkova strides off before Serena. Possible match-up against Maria Sharapova in the next round for Reenie, and that's one to look forward to, non?

Serena 6-0 7-5 Cibulkova
Ai - backhand long, and it's 15-30. Same from Serena - 30-30. Long again - 40-30. Venomous reply to an 87 mph second serve for deuce, lovely control and put-away from Serena for match point #2. Chance on the forehand side - wide, and Serena's through...

Serena 6-0 6-5 Cibulkova *
Cibu will have to do it again now, and even if she doesn't, you fear for her in a 'breaker. Hold to love yet again, and an intrigued hubbub around Centre as the players go to their chairs.

* Serena 6-0 5-5 Cibulkova
Brilliant point from Serena, crashing into her groundstrokes to set up match point. Oh, splendid riposte from Cibu, out-hitting Serena in a backhand rally and taking the ball early to get to deuce. Netter from Serena, long under pressure to bring us level. Feisty.

John McEnroe on BBC TV: "I wonder if they should introduce five sets for women's singles matches. A player like Cibulkova - I feel like she's getting into the match more and the longer the match goes the more chance she has."

Serena 6-0 5-4 Cibulkova *
Ace no.17 from Serena, and here's the issue for Cibu - how does she start to get anything against the Williams serve. Canter to 40-0, brief delay to 40-15 as Cibu flicks a winner down the line and another ace to move within a game of the match.

* Serena 6-0 4-4 Cibulkova
Best point of the match from Cibu, running down a testing stretcher on the forehand side to sizzle a splendid passing shot across Reenie's nose. Lucky net cord, and then a marginal call from the line-judge - Cibu is level again. Good guts. Fleetwood McEnroe? Tremendous.

Serena 6-0 4-3 Cibulkova *
Ace no.15 from Serena, watched on my mum Oracene Price. Bright sunshine over Centre, and you sense that the heat is about to be turned up on Cibu.

Serena * 6-0 3-3 Cibulkova
Serena mis-hits into the backhand tramlines and hangs her head as if she had been cautioned for foul and abusive language. Wondrous forehand cross-court to lift the mood, but Cibu stays strong to drag herself level.

Serena 6-0 3-2 Cibulkova *
A few extra Cibu facts for you: she considers nine her lucky number, and names Kim Clijsters as the person she most admires. In your face, Nelson Mandela. Crashing, bashing serving from Serena, and Cibu hasd an average of 0.6 seconds to react - she's only 5' 2", and with the combo of pace and angle that Serena's finding, she can't get close.

* Serena 6-0 2-2 Cibulkova
Cibu showing signs of finding her feet, dashing to 40-0 and then... nope, double-fault. No again, going long for 40-30, but Serena then goes over-spanky on a forehand and watches with a grimace as the ball flies long. These four games have already lasted as long as the entire first set.

Serena 6-0 2-1 Cibulkova *
Ah, much better from Cibu - slicey-dicey, driving the forehands, dragging herself back from 0-40 to a surprise deuce. Ah - ace down the middle, ace out wide. What do you prefer, Red Hot Chela Peppers or Red Hot Cilic Peppers?

Lindsay Davenport on BBC TV: "Serena is just timing the ball so perfectly and that is half the battle on grass."

* Serena 6-0 1-1 Cibulkova
Better from Cibu, lancing a forehand down the line for a winner and then forcing an error long from Serena. Her first game point, 27 minutes into the match... long again from Serena, and the crowd roar with sympathetic encouragement. Pat For Cashes, suggest @JamesNicholl to widespread approval.

John McEnroe on BBC TV: "Serena is one of the few players who can focus and win the Grand Slams. The only guy I can think of like that was Agassi who wouldn't play for three or four months and would then come out and win the Australian Open."

Serena 6-0 1-0 Cibulkova *
The bad news for Cibu? She's due to face Serena and Venus in the doubles out on Court Two later today. With Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, I should add, but all the same. Good luck to the scoreboard with the name abbreviations. Hold to love from Serena - of course it was.

* Serena 6-0 Cibulkova
Dear oh dear. 18 minutes for that set, and this is the third match in a row that Serena has begun with a first set whitewash. Cibu is being destroyed by the Reenie return of serve - Williams landing 89% of her service returns, compared to 23% from Cibu. Tale told.

Serena 5-0 Cibulkova *
Sympathetic wince from Martin Bayfield in the Royal Box as Serena grinds Cibu into the browning turf. 14 minutes, and Cibu is in danger of being a set behind in less time than she took to warm up.

* Serena 4-0 Cibulkova
Lovely little touch from Serena, rolling a rinky-dink backhand cross-court at a cunning angle to set up another break point. Crunch - wrecking-ball of a return on the second serve, and Cibu barely moves as the ball screams past her. Two breaks gone, and those four games have gone by in 12 minutes. PS could you manually refresh for me? Issue with the scores.

Serena 3-0 Cibulkova *
Hmmm - another hold to love from Serena, completely unbothered that today is the fifth anniversary of her earliest ever exit from Wimbledon (at the hands of Craybas). Did I mention Brian Lara was here? Bet his topspin backhand packs a punch.

* Serena 2-0 Cibulkova
The bloke on my left is claiming that all the guests in the Royal Box have been left a free deodorant under their seat. They're hardly going to peel off and start spraying away in their seats, are they? Big battle for Cibu in her first service game, the returns whistling back and forcing her to over-crank her first serve to try to compensate - double-fault for break point, desperate backhand scurry long to give away the game.

Serena 1-0 Cibulkova *
If tennis balls could speak, this is what they'd be saying: crash bang wallop. Three brutal first serves, Serena hold to love. Glenn Hoddle there, impassive in a neat blue sports jacket.

* denotes next server

1320: This is the first meeting between these two, the current world number one and 46. Reenie dominant in this championship so far, and it's a huge ask for the 21-year-old from Bratislava.

1315: Here come the players - Serena in her strawberries and cream outfit, Dominika Cibulkova in a crisp, simple all-in-one sleeveless dress. Personally I'm struggling to see past Lindsay Davenportishead.

BBC Sport's Tom Fordyce on Twitter: "If you've not got involved yet, we've got a splendid 'tennis players plus band names' competition in progress on Twitter. Justine Henin Inch Nails, Gilles Simon and Garfunkel, Jo Durie and The Blockheads, Maria Buena Vista Social Club..."

1308: The biggest cheer of the day? For the 13 members of the Armed Forces in the Royal Box. Big day.

1301: Evonne Gooloagong-Cawley (my old man always speaks fondly of her); Martina Navratilova, Lewis Moody, Ilie Nastase, Victoria Pendleton in a blue spotty dress - I must be dreaming...

1255: That Royal Box line-up? Charlton (Sir Bob), Holmes (Dame Kelly), Hoy (Sir Chris), Tendulkar (The Little Master Sachin).... I'm in awe. Honestly, I am.

1250: Middle Saturday at Wimbledon, the sun blazing down, the Royal Box rammed with sporting legends (more on that in a mo) and Centre Court awaiting Serena, Rafaldo and Andy Murray. Truly all is good in the world. Apart from famine, war and pestilence, of course. Sobering.