World number seven Ons Jabeur overcame the daring Oceane Dodin on Thursday to win 6-2, 6-3 and march into the third round of the French Open.
Jabeur has endured a stop-start season in which she had minor knee surgery before winning the title in Charleston and skipping the Madrid Open with a calf problem.
While it may not have been the preparation she would have liked for Paris, Jabeur has looked solid in her two matches so far, having reached the third round without dropping a set.
"I am getting back to my level and moving great. Physically I am feeling much better," Jabeur said. "[Dodin] hits very flat and her game is very risky. You can expect a lot of winners and a lot of mistakes.
"My plan was to make her make more mistakes than me and not let her into her comfort zone," she added. "I gained a lot from this match and that will help me in the third round."
The Tunisian initially struggled to control Dodin's power game as the 26-year-old French world number 122 attacked almost every ball, playing with considerable risk.
While she made many difficult points, Dodin missed several easier ones, including two volleys, to send Jabeur 4-2 up.
The Tunisian's drop shot is arguably the best in the women's game and the 28-year-old made full use of it on her next service game to move 5-2 ahead.
"The drop shot is one of the great shots that I do and here on clay, the ball stays really low," Jabeur said. "I would not say I was born with it but I learnt to do it better with the years."
Dodin's risky play did not pay off when another audacious crosscourt forehand flew wide to hand Jabeur the first set.
The pair then traded early breaks but Dodin's errors gradually piled up as Jabeur clinched the contest on her third match point to end the French presence in the women's draw.
It is the third time in five years that no French player has made the third round of the women's competition.
