FILE - In this Jan. 28, 2017, file photo, Serena Williams holds her trophy after defeating her sister Venus in the women's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia. Main-draw action begins Sunday, May 27, 2018, in what would be Williams' first Grand Slam tournament in more than a year. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File) PARIS (AP) -- For all that has changed in the 16 months since Serena Williams last played in a Grand Slam tournament - she is now married and a mother - so much was familiar about her at the French Open on Tuesday. The fashion statement, this time in the form of a black bodysuit with a red belt that she said made her feel like a ''warrior princess.'' The cries of ''Come on!'' The big serves that provided 13 aces. The returns that eventually produced three consecutive breaks of serve. And, yes, the victory. Competing as a mom for the first time at a major, and only about nine months since giving birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia, then dealing with postpartum complications, Williams edged 70th-ranked Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (4), 6-4 at Roland Garros. Already a transcendent sports star and cultural icon, Williams now carries a new title: working mother. ''Well, my priority is Olympia. No matter what, that's my priority. I have given tennis so much, and tennis has actually given me a lot, and I couldn't be more grateful,'' Williams said. ''She's my priority, and I work everything around her.'' The 36-year-old American had not played in one of tennis's biggest tournaments since winning the Australian Open in January 2017 for her 23rd Grand Slam title, breaking a tie with Steffi Graf for the most in the professional era. Williams, the world found out later, was pregnant at the time. Her baby was born Sept. 1; Williams married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in November. Williams eventually revealed that she had an emergency cesarean section, then encountered trouble breathing afterward because of a pulmonary embolism and needed a follow-up operation. ''Just literally not sure if I was going to make it or not at several different times,'' Williams said. ''A lot of people have really reached out, because they have so many similar stories, too. I feel like a lot of people don't talk about it. They talk about the baby and how happy they are. But it's a lot that goes into it with the pregnancy and with giving birth, and it's called a 'miracle' for a reason.'' Story continues The first match of her comeback was in doubles alongside her older sister, Venus, for the U.S. Fed Cup team in February. She entered two tournaments in singles the next month, going 2-2. An absence of more than two months followed, until Tuesday in Paris. So a woman who has spent hundreds of weeks ranked No. 1 is currently No. 451 and unseeded at the French Open, a subject of some debate: Should her past success accord her the protection a seeding offers? Williams faces 17th-seeded Ash Barty of Australia next. ''She's a genuine champion,'' Barty said. ''What she's done to be able to get back ... is a pretty amazing thing.'' Tuesday's return was striking, from Williams' powerful shots to her outfit, which called to mind the ''catsuit'' she wore at the 2002 U.S. Open. It was by far the most significant event of Day 3 at Roland Garros, even though there were so many other Grand Slam champions in action. Rafael Nadal finished off a rain-interrupted victory as he begins his try for a record-extending 11th French Open title. Maria Sharapova, a two-time champ in Paris, was pushed to three sets in a win. Garbine Muguruza, who beat Williams in the 2016 final at Roland Garros, beat another past champion, Svetlana Kuznetsova. All eyes were on Williams, though. On the fifth point, she delivered an ace at 112 mph (181 kph). Moments later, the chair umpire intoned, ''Jeu, Madame Williams,'' - French for ''Game, Mrs. Williams,'' a change from the ''Mademoiselle'' used for unmarried female players. Pliskova, a lefty whose twin sister upset Williams in the 2016 U.S. Open semifinals, actually hit more aces, 15. That's the most anyone has hit against Williams since at least 2008, according to the WTA. Indeed, Williams appeared to have trouble reading Pliskova's serves early on. There were other blips, of the sort to be expected from someone who hasn't played lately. Williams double-faulted seven times. She had nearly as many unforced errors, 25, as winners, 29. But she is not simply skilled. She is smart, too, and she figured things out. After trailing 3-0 in the tiebreaker, she reeled off six points in a row. After falling behind 2-0 in the second set, Williams came up with a trio of service breaks. All was not perfect, of course. In the final game, Williams' right foot gave way as she sprinted toward the net and she landed on her backside. At least she was able to laugh at that as she went to the sideline to towel off. A spectator yelled: ''That's all right, Serena! You still look great!'' After months of worrying more about diapers than drop shots, of breastfeeding for what she called ''a really, really, really long time,'' of organizing her practice schedule around her newborn's nap schedule, Williams was back to doing what she's most famous for, in an arena where she earned trophies in 2002, 2013 and 2015. On Tuesday, she noted that she showed up at her news conference more promptly than she used to, so she could have more time to spend with Olympia. ''I don't want her to ever feel like I'm not around. I'm a super hands-on mom,'' Williams said. ''Maybe too much.'' A reporter wanted to know whether Williams believes she can win the title again. ''I'm definitely here to compete and do the best that I can do, obviously. I'm not putting any pressure on myself as I normally do,'' Williams began.<doc-sep>By Ossian Shine PARIS (Reuters) - Even the Parisian stormclouds cleared for Serena Williams on Tuesday, as the new mother's baby steps back to Grand Slam tennis became a stride into the second round of the French Open. Kristyna Pliskova, who shared the Wimbledon winners' stage with Serena back in 2010 -- the Czech was junior champion as Serena won the real thing that year, played her part across the net on centre court, but there was only one star. Dressed in a skintight, all-in-one black bodysuit, broken up by a vivid scarlet belt, Serena captivated the French crowd from the start of the contest to its 7-6(4) 6-4 conclusion. "Two years has been a really long time," she told the crowd in French, referring to her last match on clay. "I am just so happy to have won a match here... thank you all." The last time the American had appeared in a Grand Slam tournament was at the Australian Open in 2017, when she won it while pregnant with daughter Alexis Olympia. This time there was a little rust to shake off -- she only gave birth in September -- and she didn't quite move as when at her best. But all the same Serena was too strong, too good, simply too Serena for her world 70-ranked opponent. It was a match-up that, in some respects, made a mockery of statistics. The American started the match ranked 9,999th in the race to the annual season-ender. Pliskova sits 52nd. But in the data that counts, Serena is a giant of the tennis court. Her haul of 23 Grand Slam singles crowns beats Steffi Graf's total by one, and is just one shy of Margaret Court's record 24. Coming into this tournament her career prize money stood at more than $84 million. That she is currently ranked 451 in the WTA rankings is an irrelevance - more pertinent is that she finished 2017 ranked 22, having played only two events all year. In every category, Serena's achievements dwarf her opponent's, bar one -- Pliskova holds the WTA record for aces in a single match: 31 at the 2016 Australian Open. She cracked 15 past Serena on Court Philippe Chatrier, but even then saw 13 fly past her as the American gave as good as she got. "I don't know how many aces there were," Serena smiled courtside after the match. "But I think money goes to charity, so donate! "I think we raised some real money," she laughed before making her way to the exit, stopping for selfies and to sign autographs for an appreciative French crowd. Next up for the three-times champion is Australian 17th seed Ashleigh Barty. It won't be an encounter Barty will relish. She could be considered the most unlucky of seeds in a Grand Slam, for there can never have been a more dangerous floater in the draw. French Open organisers stick rigidly to the WTA rankings, so would not seed Serena. That is already beginning to look like a mistake Wimbledon -- which allows itself some 'wriggle-room' -- would be wise to avoid repeating. (This story has been refiled to correct the spelling of Kristyna in the second paragraph) (Editing by Pritha Sarkar)<doc-sep>(CNN) Springtime in Paris. The River Seine glistens, the Eiffel Tower tickles resplendent skies and the sweet pinging of racquet hitting ball can be heard as the French Open bursts into life like a gently popping Champagne cork. There are few finer sights in tennis than the world's best lunging and scrambling on the Parisian clay in an attempt to win one of their sport's most prestigious prizes From May 27 to June 10, greats such as Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova will descend on Roland Garros, a stadium named after the French aviator, for the second grand slam of the year. La Coupe des Mousquetaires awaits the men's champion, while the women's victor will hold La Coupe Suzanne Lenglen aloft. Reputations will be enhanced, and bank balances bolstered with both winners pocketing a cool £1.93 million ($2.58m) each. But who are the favorites and what can we expect from the only grand slam on red dirt? Will Williams return from maternity leave to claim a record-equaling 24th grand slam and can Rafael Nadal win an unprecedented 11th French Open crown? Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Rafael Nadal won his record-extending 11th title at the French Open when he beat Dominic Thiem on Sunday in Paris. Hide Caption 1 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? The Spaniard won his first French Open on his debut as a 19-year-old at Roland Garros and has only lost two matches since then. Hide Caption 2 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Simona Halep beat Sloane Stephens in three sets Saturday to win the French Open and her first major after losing three grand slam finals. Hide Caption 3 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Halep finally got her name on the trophy, 10 years after winning the junior title at Roland Garros. Hide Caption 4 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Nadal had kept alive his bid for an unprecedented 11th French Open title with a dominant semifinal win over Juan Martin del Potro in Paris. Hide Caption 5 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Austria's Dominic Thiem is the pretender to Rafael Nadal's claycourt throne after booking a place in his first French Open final with victory against Marco Cecchinato. Hide Caption 6 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Nadal was rattled for a set and a half against Argentine Diego Schwartzman but he took advantage of an overnight rain delay and returned with renewed vigor to win in four sets to reach the semifinals. Hide Caption 7 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Schwartzman ended Nadal's 37-set winning streak at Roland Garros after taking the opener, but rain delayed their quarterfinal overnight and he went down in four sets to the resurgent Spaniard. Hide Caption 8 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Halep had reached her second consecutive French Open final with a straight sets win over Garbine Murguruza of Spain. Halep retained her world No.1 spot as she bids for a first grand slam title. Hide Caption 9 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Reigning US Open champion Stephens (right) beat fellow American Madison Keys to reach her first French Open final. Hide Caption 10 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Two-time champion Maria Sharapova, playing her first French Open since returning from a 15-month suspension for taking the banned heart drug meldonium, lost to Muguruza in the quarterfinals. Hide Caption 11 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Sharapova was due to meet old rival Serena Williams in the fourth round but the American pulled out ahead of the match with a shoulder injury. Hide Caption 12 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Novak Djokovic is undergoing a slump in his stellar career but was hoping to use the French Open as a springboard for better things. However, he lost out to Italy's Marco Cecchinato in the quarterfinals. Hide Caption 13 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? The unseeded Cecchinato, who had never previously won a round at a grand slam, beat Djokovic, the 12-time major champion and 2016 French Open winner, in four sets. Hide Caption 14 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? World No. 3 Alexander Zverev was expected to be one of the main challengers to Nadal but after squeezing through three five-set matches he fell to Thiem in straight sets in the quarterfinals. Hide Caption 15 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was at Roland Garros watching Williams beat Julia Goerges in the third round. Hide Caption 16 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? No Frenchman has triumphed on home clay since Yannick Noah in 1983 and the drought continued this year. No French players made the fourth round. Hide Caption 17 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Williams turned heads in this black catsuit as she made her first grand slam appearance for 16 months following the birth of her daughter in September. The 23-time grand slam champion said it made her feel like a "warrior princess" but added it helped with her circulation. Hide Caption 18 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? The Williams sisters teamed up in doubles, but after overpowering Japan's Miyu Kato and Shuko Aoyama (pictured) in their first match they crashed out in the third round. Hide Caption 19 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Nadal is known as the "King of Clay" since winning his first French Open on his debut as a 19-year-old. No player has won the same grand slam as many times as the Spaniard has in Paris.<doc-sep>Last updated on .From the section Tennis Maria Sharapova won the French Open in 2012 and 2014 French Open 2018 Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 27 May-10 June Coverage: Daily live radio and text commentaries on BBC Radio 5 live, the BBC Sport website and app Returning three-time champion Serena Williams set up a highly-anticipated French Open last-16 match against long-time rival Maria Sharapova by beating Germany's Julia Gorges. Williams, playing her first Grand Slam since giving birth, won 6-3 6-4 against 11th seed Gorges. Earlier on Saturday, Russian two-time winner Sharapova beat sixth seed Karolina Pliskova 6-2 6-1. Williams, 36, and Sharapova, 31, will meet in the fourth round on Monday. Williams eased to victory over 29-year-old Gorges, who reached the world's top 10 for the first time this year, in just one hour and 15 minutes. 'The numbers don't lie' The match between two of the sport's biggest stars - with 28 Grand Slam titles between them, plus personalities and marketability which have helped them transcend tennis - was one of the most eye-catching permutations when the Roland Garros draw was made last week. Spiky exchanges between the pair over the years have fuelled the narrative of a rivalry which, on court, has never been much of one. Williams, a 23-time Slam champion, has won 19 of their 21 previous meetings on tour - both of Sharapova's wins coming back in 2004. "Any time you play against Serena you know what you're up against," Sharapova said. "You know the challenge that is upon you. You know, despite the record that I have against her, I always look forward to coming out on the court and competing against the best player. "I think there is a lot of things in her game that she's done much better than I have. Numbers don't lie." Sharapova is competing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2015, having been refused a wildcard entry in 2017 after serving a doping ban. Williams underlines her credentials Williams, who was playing just her seventh match after returning from having a baby, has so far played down her chances of winning a joint-record 24th Grand Slam singles title. But against Gorges she underlined her credentials, dominating from the start with a break in the fourth game and she took the first set with an emphatic smash. She got an early break in the second set too before the German staged a brief fightback to level at 2-2, but another Williams break in the next game put the match out of Gorges' reach. "It's really special to be here again," said Williams. "This time last year I was pregnant and I was having a tough time and then I had a tough birth so every match at this stage of my return is a bonus." Analysis BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller This was a seriously impressive performance by Serena Williams. She served extremely well, but it was the quality of her returns which really caught the eye. And the three-time champion gave Gorges very little in the way of free gifts - making only 12 unforced errors, according to the stats. Sharapova was also in fantastic form when she demolished Pliskova earlier in the day, so roll on Monday, when the pair will meet for the first time since the 2016 Australian Open quarter-final.<doc-sep>
(CNN) Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova meeting in the second week of a grand slam wouldn't have come as a surprise a few years ago. But when the world-famous duo landed in the same quarter of the draw at this year's French Open, there was no guarantee they would clash in the fourth round. Williams was playing her first grand slam in 16 months and only her third tournament of 2018 after giving birth to daughter Olympia in September, while Sharapova dealt with an arm injury this year and still sought top form after returning from a drug suspension in April 2017. Yet the pair will face off indeed for the 22nd time after both won Saturday at Roland Garros. Serena. Maria. This is one fourth round match you won't want to miss. #RG18 pic.twitter.com/mTkV44g7to "We are both on a comeback for two totally different reasons, and she's been on her journey for over a year and I just started mine a couple months ago," said Williams. "So it's just something new and different." Struggling somewhat in the opening two rounds, both put in their best performances of the fortnight on a sunny, warm day in Paris that was a complete contrast to Friday's wet, heavy conditions. On paper, anyway, they were upset victories. Williams -- her ranking down to 451st due to a lack of matches since winning the 2017 Australian Open in the early stages of pregnancy -- defeated 11th-seed Julia Goerges 6-3 6-4 Saturday evening. The 23-time grand slam champ faced a mere one break point and tallied 85% of her first-serve points. "I feel like every match I play I'm getting better and I'm playing tougher opponents and I'm hanging in there, and I feel like it's going to hopefully keep going," said Williams. Sharapova thumped sixth-seed Karolina Pliskova 6-2 6-1 in the afternoon, winning nearly 60% of her return points versus last year's women's ace leader and Roland Garros semifinalist. Monday, though, comes the hard part for 28th-seed Sharapova, no doubt the toughest challenge of her career -- trying to beat Williams. Serena Williams was all smiles after her French Open win Saturday. Lopsided record Sharapova trails the series 19-2 and last overcame the American in 2004. Sixteen straight sets have gone against her, including in the quarterfinals at the 2016 Australian Open, Sharapova's last match prior to serving the ban for taking meldonium. "I think any time you play against Serena you know what you're up against," the five-time grand slam winner told reporters. "You know the challenge that is upon you. "Despite the record that I have against her, I always look forward to coming out on the court and competing against the best player." Maria Sharapova crushed Karolina Pliskova at the French Open. They wouldn't be considered pals but Sharapova admitted to being "inspired" by her on-court tormentor. Their path to stardom from humble beginnings is also inspiring, according to Sharapova. Born in Siberia, Russia, Sharapova moved to the US aged six to chase her tennis dream. Williams and older sister Venus grew up in Compton in the 1980s at a time when gang warfare was not uncommon in the Los Angeles suburb. Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Rafael Nadal won his record-extending 11th title at the French Open when he beat Dominic Thiem on Sunday in Paris. Hide Caption 1 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? The Spaniard won his first French Open on his debut as a 19-year-old at Roland Garros and has only lost two matches since then. Hide Caption 2 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Simona Halep beat Sloane Stephens in three sets Saturday to win the French Open and her first major after losing three grand slam finals. Hide Caption 3 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Halep finally got her name on the trophy, 10 years after winning the junior title at Roland Garros. Hide Caption 4 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Nadal had kept alive his bid for an unprecedented 11th French Open title with a dominant semifinal win over Juan Martin del Potro in Paris. Hide Caption 5 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa? Austria's Dominic Thiem is the pretender to Rafael Nadal's claycourt throne after booking a place in his first French Open final with victory against Marco Cecchinato.