Venus Williams battles past Lauren Davis

Venus Williams has kept her Australian Open dream alive by beating Lauren Davis 6-2 6-3 in an all-American second-round clash.

It was a disastrous start for Williams as Davis surprised the Melbourne crowd by securing a break of serve in the opening game of the match.

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However, Williams quickly recovered from the early setback, and the veteran took full control by breaking back on two occasions to set up success in the first set.

Davis opened a new set with another break, but her compatriot displayed her trademark fighting spirit to quickly get back level once again.

Despite matching Williams for long spells of the match, Davis struggled to handle the extra power of her opponent, and another break of serve in the fourth game proved to be the crucial moment.

Williams improved on serve as the match progressed, and the 18th seed looked comfortable in securing her progress.