Paris, France (AHN) - Venus Williams led the charge into the second round at the French Open with a solid 6-4, 6-3 win over French teenager Alize Cornet Monday.

Playing on center court, Williams had to fight off a pair of breaks in the first set and another in the second.

"I had some chances to really take the match, but she always came back," said Williams, a five-time Grand Slam champion.

The second consecutive day of rain at the French Open brought another delay but this one was short, lasting only three hours.

Twenty-two matches were postponed during the second day of the tournament on Monday, including marquee events featuring No. 4 Jelena Jankovic, No. 6 Nicole Vaidisova.

On Sunday, only seven of 24 scheduled matches began because of rain. Justine Henin and Serena Williams had to wait through the delay but persevered to reach the second round.

Both players struggled.

"I was playing more patient and I was doing what I've been practicing," said Williams, who eventually beat Bulgarian teenager Tsvetana Pironkova 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. "I guess it just didn't work out in the first set."

Williams was broken four times in the first set, and again in the opening game of the second. However, she recovered to win 12 of the final 13 games.

Henin beat Elena Vesnina of Russia 6-4, 6-3, but her rhythm was disrupted by the rain delay as well as starting a major tournament on a Sunday.

"The weather is appalling, and it's going to be the same throughout the weeks," said Henin who is attempting to win her third consecutive French Open and her fourth in five years.

"Winning today is all that counts," Henin said. "It was a bit tiring to play in these weather conditions."

Henin will face Tamira Paszek of Austria next. Paszek took Henin to three sets earlier this year in Dubai.

"In Dubai, it was a different situation, a different type of surface," Henin said. "But I can tell you that Paszek is very talented. She's a winner."

In other matches, Dinara Safina, defeated Yuliana Fedak of Ukraine 7-5, 6-4.