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Serena Williams Struggles, but Clears a Mental Hurdle at the French Open

PARIS — Serena Williams joked after her first-round victory Tuesday that she was simply relieved to have defended the ranking points she earned at the French Open last year, when she crashed out in the second round.

As her second-round match began here Thursday afternoon, it looked as if Williams might not even clear the low bar she had set for herself. But after screaming her way through shaky play, she prevailed, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, over 105th-ranked Anna-Lena Friedsam, an unheralded 21-year-old from Germany.

Last year, Williams had been largely blasted off the same Suzanne Lenglen court by Garbiñe Muguruza, a tall, powerful Spaniard.