World number one Maria Sharapova was two points away from an embarrassing exit before finally prevailing 6-1 3-6 8-6 over fellow Russian Evgeniya Rodina to advance to the second round of the French Open.

The top seed, who is hoping to complete a career Grand Slam by winning the Roland Garros crown, served 17 double faults on a windswept Centre Court before downing the 19-year-old slam debutant Rodina in two hours and 28 minutes.

Sharapova, who was in danger of becoming the first women's top seed to bow out at the first hurdle in Paris since the start of the professional game in 1968.

The Australian Open champion surrendered her opening service game to an opponent ranked 103 in the world, but recovered to clinch the first set in 29 minutes with a series of angled winners.

Rodina, however, took full advantage of Sharapova's problems with her serve to break early in the second set and again in the ninth game to level the contest.

Sharapova fought tooth and nail to hold serve in the decider, staving off three break points in the eighth game.

It was Rodina who eventually cracked though, sailing a backhand long in the 13th game to give Sharapova the only break of the set.

A shrieking Sharapova stood firm with her serve and sealed the contest on her first match point when Rodina hit a backhand wide.

The match, which was scheduled for Tuesday, had been postponed to Wednesday because of persistent rain in the French capital.

Ana Ivanovic, meanwhile, showed no mercy as she thundered into the third round with a 6-1 6-2 win over a hapless Lucie Safarova.

The Serbian second seed basked in the sunshine on the bullring Court One as she smothered her Czech opponent in a quickfire 55 minutes.

Safarova made it through to the fourth round last year, claiming the scalp of local darling Amelie Mauresmo en route, but there was to be no repeat.

Ivanovic ended Safarova's brief stay at this year's championships by punching a forehand winner down the line on her first match point.

The 20-year-old, runner-up in last year's final to the retired Justine Henin, will next face either Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.

Serena Williams ran into a spot of bother before downing France's Mathilde Johansson 6-2 7-5 in the second round.

The American, who is the only past Roland Garros winner in the women's draw after four-times champion Justine Henin's retirement, prevailed in one hour and 33 minutes after trailing 5-3 in the second set.

The fifth seed will meet either Russian Ekaterina Makarova or Slovenia's Katarina Srebotnik for a last-16 spot.

Backed by a boisterous crowd, Johansson boldly took her chances but it was not enough to really bother the American.

The Swedish-born Johansson had a chance to level at 3-3 on Williams' serve but failed to convert and collapsed, losing the first set after 38 minutes.

However, Serena struggled with her serve in the second and Johansson took advantage of it to break for 5-3.

But the former world number one broke straight back and went on to win the three remaining games, wrapping it up on her second match point when Johansson netted a backhand.

Former finalist Elena Dementieva picked herself up after losing a tough first set to crush Vera Dushevina.

The seventh seed, runner-up to Anastasia Myskina in 2004, struggled with the blustery conditions before sealing a 6-7 6-0 6-2 victory against the world number 48.

The 26-year-old Dementieva lost the opener 8-6 in the tiebreak after a tense 67-minute set but then reeled off 11 straight games before wrapping up victory in two hours and 23 minutes.

She will play Poland's Marta Domachowska in the second round.

French ninth seed Marion Bartoli, meanwhile, was knocked out 6-7 6-3 6-2 by Australian Casey Dellacqua in the first round.

Last year's Wimbledon finalist was 6-5 up when rain ended play on Tuesday but she could not find her pace on Wednesday, bowing out after two hours and two minutes.

Dellacqua will next face another Frenchwoman, Nathalie Dechy, for a place in the third round.

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Reuters