Thursday preview: Everything working in Serena Williams’ favor

11:14 AM ET

Serena Williams resumes her quest to equal Steffi Graf’s all-time Grand Slam singles title record in the second round of the French Open on Thursday. Although she’ll be heavily favored, the historic potential of this tournament alone makes her match must-watch television.

Of course, there will be plenty of other singles matches on the docket as well, some of them more compelling in terms of the actual matchups. Here are three of the more intriguing ones:

No. 1 Serena Williams versus No. 81 Teliana PereiraAurelien Meunier/Getty Images

The big story on the eve of this tournament was the horrific hand dealt to defending champion Williams by the draw. Once again, bracketology has been shown to be a pseudo-science. But who would have thought that the only two women to beat Williams in tournament finals this year, the two contenders most likely to win the French Open if Williams would not, would both lose in the first round?

Yep, No. 3 seed Angelique Kerber and No. 5 Victoria Azarenka were both eliminated. In what looked a lot like an omen, Williams then won her first-round match in 42 minutes.

Realistically, the major weapon Pereira has venturing into the proverbial lioness’s den is the element of surprise. These two have never played. Williams might need some time to get used to the feel of Pereira’s game. But while Pereira has distinguished herself by becoming the first Brazilian in 27 years to win a WTA title (Bogota, 2015), her overall credentials will not set off alarm bells in the Williams camp.

Pereira is a Brazilian of medium build (5-foot-7) with a deep affection for clay courts. Even on a great day, …

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