MELBOURNE: Top seed Serena Williams is aiming to shoot down Slovak pocket rocket Dominika Cibulkova in the Australian Open quarter-finals Wednesday, as resurgent sister Venus plays the generation game with teen Madison Keys.
The American siblings, for so long a dominant force in women's tennis, will meet in a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time since Wimbledon 2000 if they win their respective last eight clashes.
Serena, 33, has progressed in typical fashion so far -- drifting along until she needs to flip the turbo and power past an opponent -- while 34-year-old Venus has been a revelation after a long illness.
Serena is chasing her sixth Australian title and 19th Grand Slam overall, which would take her to clear second after Steffi Graf's 22 on the all-time Open-Era tally, with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova also sitting on 18.
But she has underperformed at Melbourne Park in recent years and her world number one ranking will be under threat if she fails to down last year's Open finalist Cibulkova and take the title.
She faces an opponent in Cibulkova who had struggled since losing the 2014 decider to Li Na but is now brimming with self belief after crashing two-time champion Victoria Azarenka's comeback party.
The Slovak said she always felt good playing in Melbourne.
"The beginning of the year I always feel fresh. I always feel good from the off-season," she said.
Serena has a 4-0 record over 25-year-old Cibulkova but is wary of the pint-sized Slovak, one of the shortest players on tour at 1.61 metres (5'3"), who has tested her in the past.
"She's a really good player. I mean, to be her size, she hits so hard and she plays so well," the American said. "She's just such a power, compact, great player.
"I just have to stay focused and not underestimate her. She actually almost beat me before. I want to make sure I come ready and prepared."
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