Johanna Konta holds with room to spare as Serena Williams blazes a forehand return well long at 40-15.

Those were the sort of shots she was not just making, but hitting for winners in the first set.

Leon Smith
Great Britain Davis Cup captain on Radio 5 live

What a response from Johanna Konta. From 0-40 down, manages to hold and no doubt gets a huge boost of confidence, then starts applying pressure. That’s a big moment for her as she just manages to nudge ahead.

Image source, Getty Images

Waking you up more effectively than a slap from a caffeinated cod.

Johanna Konta goes a break up in the second set as she hits strong and deep and Williams - going across court - strays wide.

0-40 down in the previous game it seemed that the match might be almost done.

Not a bit of it.

Serena Williams under a little pressure as she double-faults to 30-40.

First serve missed.

Second lands. But that is a wild miscue from Williams.

Deuce. And a chance for Konta...

Johanna Konta is made of tough stuff, but this is tectonic levels of pressure that are being applied by Serena Williams.

The American is all over serve like head lice though a toddler class and Konta gets twitchy as she slips to 0-30 and then duffs a straightforward mid-court bounce into the net.

Three break points.

But back off the ropes comes Konta! She adapts and survives to see her way to deuce, keeping the ball out of Williams strike zone.

And Konta converts game point.

The greatest save since Gordon Banks in Mexico. Can that be a turning point?

Some of these Serena Williams' serves need to be preserved in aspic and put in the Smithsonian for the good of future generations.

A sublime arcing ace down the T leaves Johanna Konta groping thin air and the line judges cowering. Another - this time completely foxing Konta as he skids out wide - closes out the game.

Leon Smith
Great Britain Davis Cup captain on Radio 5 live

The Serena return is like a laser beam, like an arrow through the court. Amazing hitting.

This is vintage Serena and that is a brew too strong for just about anyone else on the circuit.

The American is climbing into her groundstrokes and just taking the racquet out of Johanna Konta's hands.

The Briton's second serve is getting particularly brutal treatment. Konta has won 71% of points when she has got her first serve in, dropping to 38% behind her second.

She needs to turn the tide fast in the second set.

It is not that Johanna Konta is playing badly. Not at all. She is playing well.

The Briton dusts off a fine cross-court winner for 15-0 and then thwarts Serena Williams' rush to the net with a dipping forehand that grazes the wire for 30-0.

It is just Serena Williams is returning at a rate of knots and rushing her out of rhythm with sheer power.

The American has been on top form and now has deuce to work with. Two points away from the first set.

Is this the chance for Johanna Konta to bite back as Serena Williams heads up the sunny end of the court to serve?

Nope, not this time. Williams takes a couple of mph off her first serve to make sure of landing it, keeping that percentage healthy.

Williams finishes off the game with the old one-two - whopping serve out wide, crashing groundstroke back the other way.

Ominous.

Image source, Reuters

Bodyline - the rib-targetting tactic that the England cricket team devised for their Ashes tour of Australia in the 1930s - is being revived by Johanna Konta Down Under.

Two pin-point serves into the Serena Williams' body, jam up the American and prevent her getting those clattering groundstrokes up and running.

A hold to 30.

Image source, Reuters

Serena Williams' serve is never wrong for long.

String-stretching power sends another tee-off skidding into the back boards as she opens up clear blue water on the scoreboard.

Serena Williams finds a cutting forehand angle that leaves Johanna Konta slumped and the scoreboard at 0-30.

Williams tries another drop-shot. It is clearly a tactic that she has been working on to try and undermine Konta. This one is swallowed by the net.

But back to the strong, hard hitting and two break points for Williams.

First saved with an ace by Konta.

Into a rally, both players scurrying hard to cover the court, but it is Konta who is finally stretched out of shape, clumping a reaching forehand into the net.

Femi: I think it's Serena's as she's got too much in her locker to see off Konta.

Lauren Davis: Sleep? Or Konta v Serena? No contest. #GoJo. 

Leon Smith
Great Britain Davis Cup captain on Radio 5 live

What we've seen early is that Jo is matching Serena for power - she's coping with the power. That's a good sign.

Image source, Reuters

Johanna Konta sets up break point with a forehand winner, fizzing with top spin.

The Briton drifts long though. Serena Williams scolds herself for her misfiring first serve.

The former world number one has landed just five out of 16 of her first serves so far.

Finally! Williams throws her head back and looks to the skies in gratitude as she finally finds her serve and summons an ace to close out the game.

Ear protection? Hard hats? Safety googles?

There is some industrial-grade hitting going on Rod Laver.

Serena Williams and Johanna Konta trade from the baseline, thumping the fuzz off the ball.

Williams wins that battle, but a double fault and a patsy second serve, slapped away from a return winner, take her to deuce.

Is Serena struggling up the sunny end of the court?

Johanna Konta is right back at Serena Williams, delivering a cluster of precision bombs off the oche as she holds to love.

Her service action is different from Serena's - all long levers and rangy power - but just as effective.

Plenty to get your teeth into already.

Johanna Konta biffs a beautiful down-the-line winner off the very first point to slap down the gauntlet.

Serena Williams breaks out a lesser-spotted drop-shot in the second, volleying away the winner. Is that a change of tactics from the world number two?

Not a lot. Two massive serves, the second a clean-cut ace down the middle, seal the game for the American.

Image source, getty

Serena Williams hides a little motivational note under a towel and away from any prying camera lenses.

Johanna Konta strides off her stool, taking a moment in the shade at the back before stepping up to the baseline to receive serve.

Here we go...