World number one Serena Williams eased into the second round of the Paris Open with a 6-1 6-4 victory over Czech Iveta Benesova on Wednesday.

The Australian Open champion won six games in a row to take the opening set and ended Benesova's misery with a backhand winner as the clock ticked past the hour.

The American top seed will next meet qualifier Karolina Sprem of Croatia for a quarter-final spot.

"I played as I expected. Since the Australian Open, I slept a lot, I have been sick," Williams told reporters.

"It was a little virus, but not the flu. I resumed training on Tuesday, when I came here. But I'm getting better."

Swiss sixth seed Patty Schnyder beat Ukraine's Alona Bondarenko to set up a second round meeting with France's Nathalie Dechy.

France's Amelie Mauresmo was next up on the Central Court against Italian Sara Errani, who beat the former world number one in a Fed Cup match that Italy won 5-0 last weekend.