Serena Williams proved that her absence from the game has not dimmed her appetite for success as she fought back from a set and a break down to beat 17th seed Ashleigh Barty 3-6 6-3 6-4 at the French Open on Thursday.
Williams, competing in her first Grand Slam since winning the 2017 Australian Open and taking a maternity break, was far from her best against the Australian, but showed supreme fighting spirit to secure safe passage into the third round.
Elsewhere in the women's draw, top seed Simona Halep saw off American Taylor Townsend 6-3 6-1 to set up a third-round clash with German Andrea Petkovic.
Twice champion Maria Sharapova cruised past Croat Donna Vekic 7-5 6-4 and will meet sixth seed Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in the third round.
In the men's draw, Rafa Nadal's bid for an 11th French Open title gathered pace as he breezed past Argentine Guido Pella 6-2 6-1 6-1 in the second round.
The Spaniard wrapped up the match in just under two hours and will next face Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who beat Tunisia's Malek Jaziri 6-2 3-6 6-3 6-0.
"We've known each other since 11 or 12 years old and grown up together, so it's going to be a great pleasure to play against (Gasquet)," Nadal said.
Third seed Marin Cilic had a tough outing against Pole Hubert Hurkacz but prevailed 6-2 6-2 6-7(3) 7-5, while big-serving Argentine fifth seed Juan Martin del Potro also progressed, beating home hope Julien Benneteau 6-4 6-3 6-2.
