Serena Williams vs. Barbora Strycova: Score, Reaction from 2017 Australian Open

Serena Williams beat Barbora Strycova in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4, inside Rod Laver Arena in the fourth round of the 2017 Australian Open.

Williams overcame sloppy play to take the first set 7-5. Up 5-4, she couldn't close out the set—despite having four set points—and committed 23 unforced errors over the course of the set. 

Sportswriter Jessica Luther tweeted that the 22-time Grand Slam champion willed herself to an opening-set victory:

Williams also capitalized on Strycova's poor service game.

The 30-year-old Czech won 50 percent of her first-service points and 29 percent of her second-service points in the first set. Williams had 12 break-point opportunities in the first set, converting on four.

She also did a great job of getting Strycova on the move. According to the IBM Slam Tracker, Strycova covered over 200 more meters (909.8) than Williams (708.0) to begin the match.

Williams had an easier time to start the second set. She jumped out to a 4-1 lead, in large part because of her improvement on serve. She dropped three of her first four service games in the first set and turned around to win her first four service games in the second.

Strycova, meanwhile, appeared to be struggling with the Melbourne sun. The New York Times' Ben Rothenberg shared a photo of her standing behind one of the umpires:

WTA Insider thought Williams might have taken her foot off the gas after going ahead 5-2:

Strycova blanked Williams in the eighth game and followed up with her first service break of the second set.

She had a chance to tie the set on serve in the 10th game but couldn't prolong the match. She sent a forehand volley into the net to send Williams through to the next round.

Strycova remained upbeat and thanked the fans in attendance after the match, courtesy of the tournament's official Twitter account:

With her victory over Strycova, Williams advances to her 10th straight Grand Slam quarterfinal, where she'll meet either Johanna Konta or Ekaterina Makarova. She's 5-1 in her career against Makarova, with her lone defeat coming in the fourth round the 2012 Australian Open, and has never faced Konta.

ESPN analyst Brad Gilbert is holding out hope for a final that pits Serena against her sister, Venus:

Williams' fourth-round win followed what was a theme throughout her 2016 season. She stumbled right out of the gate and was the victim of self-inflicted wounds. Later, she found her comfort zone and looked like the best player in the world.

At 35 years old, Williams can still recover from early mistakes when facing off against an opponent like Strycova, who provides a stern test but isn't considered one of the elite in the women's game. Whether she can do the same against the likes of Karolina Pliskova or Garbine Muguruza will be revealed later in the tournament.

Of course, Coco Vandeweghe's fourth-round upset of top-seeded Angelique Kerber made Williams' road to a 23rd Grand Slam title much easier in Melbourne.

Post-Match Reaction

Speaking during her on-court interview after the match (via ESPN.com's Greg Garber), Williams was pleased with her overall performance: "It was a really good match for me, and I'm glad I got through it. It's good to know I have a Plan B or an Option 2. It's always good to have something to improve on, and I know I can do better on my serve."

Strycova took pleasure in challenging Williams on a marquee stage, per the Associated Press (via USA Today): "That's why you train, why you work hard, to play these matches on these stages and against the best one. She's a powerful player, and I'm so small. I don't give anything for free, and I fight all the time. She's human, and she is beatable."

Williams is two Grand Slam titles away from tying Margaret Court's all-time women's singles record. While that pursuit might add pressure for others, Williams feels all of her accomplishments on the court take away the weight of expectation.

"I love pressure. I feel like I deal well with pressure," she said, per the Canadian Press (via the CBC). "I love the game. Honestly I have nothing to lose. I've won enough—everything is a bonus for me right now. It's kind of a little relaxing."