It wasn't pretty but Ashleigh Barty knows the ceiling is high as she settles into her French Open groove.
The world No.8 took the bumpy road against unheralded American Jessica Pegula into the second round, where she will play Australian Open semi-finalist Danielle Collins.
The Australian title hope prevailed 6-3 6-3 in exactly an hour on Monday but it was hardly as straightforward as the scoreline suggested.
Barty led 4-0 and 2-0 in the first and second sets respectively, only to surrender those breaks of serve and still find a way home unscathed.
Trailing 2-3, the 23-year-old dug herself out of a hole at 0-40 in the second set, holding serve and not losing another game.
"A little bit scratchy, but solid enough when I needed it," she summed up.
"There were moments in the match when it was tighter, but I was able to be really solid again and do the basics well.
"I think I just did enough to give myself an opportunity to play another match."
That will be against a more accomplished American in Collins, the world No.36, who charged to the final four in Melbourne and dropped just two games against Tatjana Maria on the way into the second round on Monday.
Barty beat Collins 6-1 1-6 6-1 earlier this month in Madrid.
"It was a match that ebbed and flowed - probably one of the most bizarre matches I have ever played in my life," she said.
"There are a few things I picked up and obviously I found a way to win that match, so there are some good things that came out of it."
The path to a maiden grand slam title got slightly easier with the 11th-hour withdrawal of sixth seed and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova (arm).
Serena Williams - destined for a fourth-round encounter with Barty - also survived a scratchy afternoon to romp past Vitalia Diatchenko 2-6 6-1 6-0.
Not that Barty is looking that far ahead.
"Literally it's just one match at a time," she said.
"I think that the level is there; there are no red flags, nothing I need to stress or worry about."
-AAP
