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Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin snapped a three-match losing streak by easing past Russian Vitalia Diatchenko in straight sets at the WTA event in Lyon on Wednesday.
The American top seed, who had lost her opening matches in both Dubai and Doha in recent weeks, beat her 107th-ranked opponent 6-4, 6-3 to reach the second round.
Kenin will next face Romanian qualifier Jaqueline Adina Cristian.
World No 5 Kenin took the opening set off Diatchenko on her third set point, before battling through a topsy-turvy second which featured six breaks of serve.
"I didn't have the best two weeks," Kenin told wtatour.com.
Her maiden Slam triumph had been followed by a win over Anastasija Sevastova in the Fed Cup before losses to Latvia's former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko, also in Fed Cup, Elena Rybakina in Dubai and Dayana Yastremska in Doha.
"I had some tough opponents on a streak of playing some hot tennis and I was close, so it wasn't like I lost to someone who was no good. I'm just happy to have gotten the win."
Results from the WTA tournament in Lyon on Wednesday (x denotes seeded player):
First round
Sofia Kenin (USA x1) bt Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS) 6-4, 6-3
Oceane Dodin (FRA) bt Mandy Minella (LUX) 6-4, 6-4
Second round
Caroline Garcia (FRA x3) bt Ysaline Bonaventure (BEL) 7-5, 6-2
Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL x5) bt Viktoriya Tomova (BUL) 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2)
Camila Giorgi (ITA) bt Alize Cornet (FRA x4) 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2
