Williams, 39, a three-time champion in Paris, won 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 and will face fellow American Danielle Collins for a place in the Last 16.
Serena Williams during her Round 2 match on Wednesday. Pic/Getty Images
Serena Williams edged a little closer to a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title with a battling three-set win over 174th-ranked Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania on Wednesday and declared: “That was kind of fun”.
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Williams, 39, a three-time champion in Paris, won 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 and will face fellow American Danielle Collins for a place in the Last 16.
Williams has been one short of Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 majors. “It was a good competition, she played well, I played well. The points were long. It was kind of fun,” said Williams who played with her right thigh heavily strapped. “I was smiling out there which is rare for me, but it’s always good to enjoy your job.”
Kenin wins
Meanwhile, last year’s runner-up Sofia Kenin advanced to the third round with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Hailey Baptiste in a battle of Americans.
Kenin has had a tough start to the season. She underwent an emergency appendectomy in Melbourne in February.
Svitolina shines
Earlier, fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina also progressed by defeating French Open debutant Ann Li 6-0, 6-4.
Svitolina played brilliantly in the opening set by combining deep shots from the baseline with clever play at the net and dropping only five points on her service games. She recovered from a blip early in the second set to win the last five games.
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