Serena Williams’ French Open continues after comeback win over Ashleigh Barty

Serena Williams won’t be packing her bags and leaving Paris just yet. On Thursday, the three-time French Open winner overcame an early deficit to defeat 17th-seeded Ashleigh Barty (3-6, 6-3, 6-4) and advance to the event’s round of 32.

Williams fell behind early and struggled to recover, ceding a 6-3 first set to the Australian. But while it seemed like her tournament may end after just two matches early on, Williams found her gear in the second after opening with a 4-1 lead and cruising to a 6-3 victory. That set up a final-set showdown, and a third-game break point turned out to be pivotal for the American, giving her the space needed to pull away and stay alive in the 2018 bracket.

Williams’ court rust bled through in her second match at Roland Garros. Unforced errors derailed her typically-powerful game, with 24 in the first two sets alone. Barty, often overmatched physically but more precise on the court, had just eight in the same span.

The win pushes the sport’s most dominant athlete one step closer to next Saturday’s final, but she’s still got plenty of work to do. Williams is now 2-0 since returning to the grand stage of Roland Garros, but a showdown with (11) Julia Gorges could provide an even stiffer test — provided she gets past Alison Van Uytvanck Thursday. She’ll return to the court with the chance to bring her comeback another step forward Saturday.