Hello and welcome back to our live coverage of the Australian Open, with Simona Halep and Dominika Cibulkova going toe-to-toe in the day's first match for a place in the women's semi-final.

That took exactly an hour. Cibulkova will now meet the winner of the day's next match - Victoria Azarenka against Aga Radwanska. Follow that one live by clicking on the link.

Cibulkova: "I was feeling little bit for tired than against Maria (Sharapova). I can say I have good fitness so I was ready for today."

GAME SET AND MATCH! CIBULKOVA 6-3 6-0 HALEP: What a second set from Cibulkova, who steams into the semis with a textbook stanza. She claims the final game to love and it's the end of the road for Halep, whose unforced error on match point does for her. The 'pocket rocket' lives up to her nickname and Cibulkova is into the final four of the 2014 Australian Open!

BREAK! CIBULKOVA 6-3 5-0 HALEP: A couple of weak serves suggest that Halep's fight has gone, but she does manage to save the two break points, the second with an ace. That, though, is as much as she can manage this game as Cibulkova, who is hitting the ball beautifully today, does claim the break at the third time of asking, Halep tamely finding the net.

CIBULKOVA 6-3 4-0 HALEP: That's a nice backhand return of serve by Halep though to get her up and running in this game. But a fired-up Cibulkova powers a backhand winner of her own on the next point and you can almost sense Halep's morale deflate. Another superb winner from the Slovak and a long Halep baseline shot later, and Cibulkova is just two games from a semi-final berth.

BREAK! CIBULKOVA 6-3 3-0 HALEP: Yet more break points for Cibulkova now - two of them - and the Slovak takes full advantage as Halep hits another regulation forehand out on the second one. Cibulkova is in complete and utter control of this match and well on course to claim a spot in the semis at a set and three games to the good in the second.

CIBULKOVA 6-3 2-0 HALEP: A clenched fist from Cibulkova tells its own tale midway through this game. Halep can't find her range at all at the moment while Cibulkova is right on the money - and the scoreline reflects that. The20th seed seals the game with a powerful forehand winner that lands just inside the baseline and sideline. Simply brilliant shot.

BREAK! CIBULKOVA 6-3 1-0 HALEP: Cibulkova continues where she left off before the changeover, breaking on the second chance she has as she second guesses Halep when the point looked won by the Romanian. Halep has a mountain to climb now.

SET! CIBULKOVA 6-3 HALEP: Cibulkova takes the first set after 34 minutes of play on Rod Laver! She proves too powerful for Halep and her more aggressive gameplan is working well so far. She's hit nine winners to Halep's four so far. Halep may be suffering a bit of stage fright too, although she did begin to settle more towards the end of the set. This should be an interesting second stanza.

BREAK! CIBULKOVA 5-3 HALEP: Halep displays her tenacity with a brilliant opening point, recovering superbly to fire a running backhand winner back past Cibulkova. But that can't stave off a break point opportunity for the Slovak as the sun plays havoc with the Romanian's serve. And Cibulkova secures the break to move to within a game of the first set. She has an incredible record at Grand Slams when she wins the first set - 40 wins and just defeats after taking a 1-0 lead.

BREAK! CIBULKOVA 4-3 HALEP: Oh dear, some wayward serving from Cibulkova - the first three double faults of the day, including one on break point - rather gifts Halep a way back into this set. We're back on serve and Halep has the wind in her sails.

CIBULKOVA 4-2 HALEP: Cibulkova's forehand is really working well at the moment. One such booming effort brings the Slovakian back to deuce, but she can't maintain that intensity and Halep holds to stay in the hunt for the first set.

CIBULKOVA 4-1 HALEP: It's Cibulkova's turn to fire off a few loose shots now as the Slovakian finds the tramlines to fall 15-40 down. A brilliant high forehand winner saves one of those break points before a similar shot helps her win the next point too. She goes on to hold, impressively so, and that could prove to be a big game - and possibly a real opportunity lost for Halep.

CIBULKOVA 3-1 HALEP: Halep finally arrives at the party, a booming forehand winner opening up a 40-0 lead before she secures her first game of the day, to love, when Cibulkova can only find the net. That should do wonders for her confidence and help her settle into this one. Game on!

CIBULKOVA 3-0 HALEP: Perhaps Cibulkova's greater experience in this kind of match is coming to the fore here. She's certainly settled the quicker of the two. The Slovakian opens up a three-game lead as Halep continues to make errors, hitting the net a couple of times this game. That's 12-3 to Cibulkova in terms of points won so far.

BREAK! CIBULKOVA 2-0 HALEP: Halep plays a couple of loose shots - one from the baseline and one closer in towards the net, both out - before a third forehand goes long and Cibulkova secures the first break of the match. That's uncharacteristic play from one of the form players on the tour.

CIBULKOVA 1-0 HALEP: A couple of lengthy rallies characterise the opening game, but Cibulkova holds easily enough to get on the scoreboard early. I think we can expect quite a few long rallies between these two today.

CIBULKOVA 0-0 HALEP: Here we go then, Cibulkova, dressed in a short blue dress with a white v-neck collar today, to serve first!