Venus Williams surprised the tennis world last year when she won her third Wimbledon title after an uninspiring first five months of the season. At the French Open this year, she is in good position to deliver another shock.

The 25-year-old Williams was not in top form yesterday, though she won her opening match at Roland Garros easily enough, 6-4, 6-3 over Sybille Bammer of Austria. As is often the case, Williams served inconsistently, double faulting seven times and losing her serve twice in the first set and once in the second (perhaps her toss suffered on a windy day). She dumped several routine forehands into the net. She also missed a few easy volleys that might have cost her dearly had she played a stronger opponent.

Before yesterday, Williams had played only nine matches this year because of an elbow injury, and Bammer is not an ideal first-round opponent on a tricky surface in cool, windy conditions. The 26-year-old lefty plays an awkward brand of tennis, featuring a looping forehand with little pace, a herky-jerky two-handed backhand, and a backhand slice that resembles a soft, floating chip shot more than a biting drive. Bammer is a late bloomer and the only mother inside the top 100. She and Venus had never met on the court.

Aside from a few rough patches, there was a lot to like about Williams yesterday. In the last three years, she has had stretches in which she seemed to forget that she is an attacker. In baseline rallies, Williams does well enough against most women, simply owing to her power and speed. But her errors usually spell the end against the handful of elite players who can handle her pace and deliver some of their own.

At her best, Williams moves forward whenever an opportunity arises. This was the Williams who defeated Bammer yesterday. She rallied with a purpose, taking to the net 25 times and winning 19 of those points. She seemed fit and moved well all afternoon, even showing on a few forehands that she has some understanding of how to slide on clay – unheard of for an American. And while her serve was erratic, her abdominal muscle, a chronic problem in the past, did not prevent her from letting loose (her first serve averaged 104 mph and topped out at 116 mph, while her second serve averaged 94 mph).

Despite having played so few matches this year, Williams has had good claycourt preparation coming into this year’s French Open. Eight of her nine matches this season were on clay. In Warsaw, she defeated Martina Hingis before falling to Svetlana Kuznetsova. In Rome, she lost to Hingis in the semifinals after winning the first seven games of the match. After another match or two in Paris, Venus might round into the kind of form necessary to win a major tournament – or at least this major tournament, where injuries and poor play among the game’s best have left a lot of room for an 11th seed the caliber of Williams.

Williams has the luck of the draw going for her, too. In the third round, she could meet Elena Likhovtseva, the 30-year-old Russian who was an unexpected semifinalist at this event last year. Williams is 9-0 against her in her career. Next up would be Patty Schnyder, the consistent and athletic Swiss who is seeded no. 7. Williams is 7-0 against her, including a three-set victory in Rome this year. From there she would face Amelie Mauresmo in the quarterfinals and perhaps Kuznetsova in the semifinals. Considering Mauresmo’s struggles under pressure (perhaps cured by her breakthrough in Australia) and Kuznetsova’s wildness, Williams might well win both of those matches.

Venus Williams in the final of the French Open? Don’t be alarmed if it happens. Williams reached the final here in 2002 and the quarterfinals on three other occasions. Last year she lost in the third round to Sesil Karatantcheva, the young Bulgarian who is serving a twoyear suspension for a doping violation. This year could be Williams’s best chance yet. Her draw is weak and her sister Serena, out with a knee injury until later this summer,is not there to beat her (as she did in 2002) or distract her.

The key in the next few rounds is whether Williams can build on the positive moments of her first match rather than revert to a more defensive style that better suits her opponents.

One point from yesterday’s contest sticks out: Bammer served at 2-3, 30-30 in the first set when Williams hit a poor drop shot. As Bammer pursued it, Williams hedged forward, half-volleying a forehand from the baseline. She then charged the net and took Bammer’s volley out of the air with a swinging backhand. Bammer ducked in self-defense as Williams’s winner went whistling by. Williams needs to make more women duck and dive and press as she dictates play. If she does, this tournament might be hers to win.

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NADAL BREAKS CLAY COURT RECORD

This is the guy who has now won a record 54 consecutive matches on clay? One might have asked that question yesterday as Rafael Nadal, the defending champion and favorite at Roland Garros, struggled to beat back the pesky Robin Soderling. The 19-year-old Spaniard may not have had all his shots in order, but his mental fortitude was evident as he took several chances away from the Swedish underdog, eventually erasing a 4-2 deficit in the second set on his way to a 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 victory. Guillermo Vilas, who won 53 straight clay-court matches in 1977, was there to congratulate Nadal in a ceremony after the match. At least the hubbub is out of the way early, so Nadal, Roger Federer, and the rest of the pack can get on with the tournament.

tperrotta@nysun.com