SHOWS: PARIS, FRANCE (MAY 30, 2019) (FFT - NO RESALES) 1.

SERENA WILLIAMS WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE 2.

WHITE FLASH 3.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SERENA WILLIAMS, ON HOW HER GAME WENT, SAYING: "I think she was playing really good tennis the whole time, she was just playing really tactical tennis and I just had to play a little bit better." 4.

WHITE FLASH 5.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SERENA WILLIAMS, ON HER IMPROVED RETURN GAME, SAYING: "I do want to end it but I know that's not the best way, so I've been working on a lot of different things on my return in practise over the past several months and hopefully now it's starting to show." STORY: Serena Williams breezed into the third round of the French Open on Thursday (May 30) with a routine 6-3 6-2 win against Japanese Kurumi Nara, wasting no energy in her quest for a record-equalling Grand Slam singles title.

The 10th seed, chasing a first major since the 2017 Australian Open, survived a first-set fright in her opening match, but there was no hiccup this time.

On court, the 37-year-old was given a decent workout by world number 238 Nara, who was playing her only second match in the main draw of a tour-level tournament this year.

Nara stood her ground in the first seven games but derailed in the eighth as Williams broke for 5-3 with a booming forehand winner down the line.

The Japanese cracked earlier in the second set, dropping serve in the third game, and never recovered as Williams snatched her 801st victory on the tour.