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Five-times champion Serena Williams has delivered another devastating display to set up a mouth-watering Australian Open showdown with her teenage heir apparent Sloane Stephens.

Williams dealt with Russian Maria Kirilenko as though she was running late for a nine o'clock movie, motoring into the last eight for the eighth time in Melbourne with a 6-2 6-0 centre-court mauling on Monday night.

Extraordinarily, the 15-times grand slam champion landed almost 90 per cent of first serves and raised her tournament tally to a championship-best 30 aces in swatting aside Kirilenko in 57 minutes.

"I thought I played really well," Williams said.

"I didn't expect to come out and play so well tonight. I was like `wow'. I saw I had like 95 per cent of first serves in the first set and I thought: `Who is this girl?'

"It's not me normally."

The victory was Williams' 40th from her past 41 matches and she will be a raging favourite on Wednesday to end the career-best run of 19-year-old Stephens, who idolises her fellow American.

"I think she's playing great," Williams said of her challenger.

"We played just two weeks ago in Brisbane and she played really unbelievable; I think she has incredible talent.

"I actually admire her as well. It will be a really tough match for me."

Stephens qualified for her maiden grand slam quarter-final with a 6-1 3-6 7-5 win over Serbian Bojana Jovanovski but will need to reverse her 6-4 6-3 loss to Williams in Brisbane a fortnight ago to keep her dream campaign going.

The fast-rising world No.25 was giving Williams due respect but also refusing to rule out the possibility of causing a grand slam boilover.

"She's obviously one of the greatest players to ever play the game," Stephens said.

"Without all that, it's still a tennis match. You have to go out and play your game, no matter what.

"Without the titles, with the titles, it's still a tennis match. The court's the same size.

"You're still playing a regular person across the net. You've just got to go out and play."

While Stephens will be contesting her first, 31-year-old Williams will line up for her 35th grand slam quarter-final.

"It's awesome," the third seed said.

"I've had a great career, especially here in Australia.

"I love it here, so I look forward to a good match."

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