PARIS — Serena Williams knows, of course, that she’s had less success at the French Open than any other Grand Slam tournament.

Of her 15 major titles, only one came at Roland Garros, back in 2002. She lost in the semifinals a year later then exited in the quarterfinals the next four times she got that far.

Against Jennifer Capriati in 2004. Against Justine Henin in 2007. Against Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2009. Against Sam Stosur in 2010.

So there Williams was Tuesday, suddenly locked in her first difficult match of this year’s French Open, having lost the second set and the opening two games of the third. Again, trouble in the quarterfinals in Paris. Again, the opponent was Kuznetsova.

“I thought,” Williams said, “you know, `Can’t go out like this again.”’

She did not. Williams won six of the last seven games, rallying for a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory and reaching her first semifinal in a decade at the clay-court major tournament.