PARIS — After playing no clay-court matches in the last two years, Serena Williams has now won two in a row at the French Open.
Technically, her 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory on Thursday over Ash Barty, a versatile young Australian, was an upset.
Barty was seeded 17th at Roland Garros. Williams is unseeded after playing just two tournaments this season as she works her way back from maternity leave. This is her first Grand Slam tournament since she won the 2017 Australian Open 16 months ago.
But after roaring back from a slow and error-strewn start against Barty, Williams, long the game’s dominant force, is now back in the third round of a major.