Williams remains confident

Williams: Confident

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Venus Williams is confident she can end her Australian Open drought despite a sluggish display against Francesca Schiavone.

The Daphne Akhurst trophy remains a major piece of silverware missing from Williams' impressive collection of titles.

But she will now take on Na Li in the quarter-finals full of belief that this is her year.

"Yeah, I'm ready to go and I feel very good," said Williams, who needed just under two hours to see off Schiavone 3-6 6-2 6-1.

"Obviously, I'm hitting the ball pretty good, especially against her today. She was really playing well.

"I'm comfortable with my game, absolutely."

Williams, though, will not have been happy about her start against the 17th-seeded Italian.

Schiavone was able to break the sixth seed far too easily, with Williams looking almost uninterested at times.

History

However she came out refreshed for the second set and although her serve continues to misfire, she was able to successfully pressurise Schiavone.

The third set saw another break of the Williams service game however she was able to rattle off five games on the bounce to seal her place in the next round.

And Williams is expecting another hard game, especially after Li toppled fourth seed Caroline Wonziacki 6-4 6-3.

"She's a very good player," Williams said.

"Obviously to beat Wozniacki, you have to play very well consistently, I'm sure she did that.

"(She) probably will try to do that in the next round."

Li produced a moment of history as she joined countrywoman Zheng Jie in the last eight - the first time two Chinese players have reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam.

The 27-year-old had never gone past the fourth round in Melbourne but she managed to hold her nerve to edge out Wonziacki.

Both players were guilty of losing their own serves, however Li held when it mattered most.

The 16th seed had been 4-2 down in the first set before rattling off four games on the bounce to take the opening set.

The second set seven successive services breaks before Li crucially held before going on to clinch the set.