INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA -- No.8 seed Venus Williams had to face a challenging opponent in her opening match, but the seven-time Grand Slam champion made it through to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open with ease, defeating Romania's Sorana Cirstea, 6-3, 6-4, on Saturday afternoon.

It was a similar scoreline as their only previous match, which Williams won nearly eight years ago at the Miami Open.

Williams achieved victory behind winning over 80 percent of Cirstea's second service points, leading her to six breaks of serve during the match.

Williams recovered quickly from a 1-3 deficit in the second set, reeling off the final five games to close out a tidy victory in one hour and 20 minutes.

"It takes me a few games, a few matches before hopefully you get it where you want it to be," Williams said after the match. "But you could have played a lot and then not have your best match. It can go either way.  It felt good out there.

"[I was] just trying to work the point, do what it takes to win the point. I haven't played in a long time."

Neither player was settled to begin the match, which began with three straight breaks of serve.

However, once Williams earned her second break of the Cirstea delivery, she cruised behind her own from there, dropping just three more points for the duration of the set.

Though Cirstea kept the deficit at one break for nearly the duration of the set, 

Cirstea did get off to a quick start to begin the second set, as she edged out a tough second break on the No.8 seed's serve and an emphatic hold to lead, 2-0.

The Romanian also had an opportunity to move ahead 3-0 behind a double break, but the opportunitiy was turned aside by the seven-time major champion, and later pulled even after building a 0-40 lead in the sixth game.

"I had a lot of opportunities in those games I lost, so I knew I was putting myself in the position to win those games," said the American about her early deficit. 

"I think not getting down double break was super helpful for me. She played well in that game, but I was happy to get it and keep it close. I think that made a difference."

The World No.8 won four straight games from her 1-3 deficit to serve for the match, and though Cirstea delayed her effort with a break to 15, Williams claimed victory in 80 minutes behind her sixth break of the match. 

The former World No. 1 could encounter a family affair in the third round. Her next opponent might be No. 29 seed Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands -- but it could also be her sister, Serena.

When asked about the possibility of playing her sister for the 29th time and the second time in Indian Wells, the elder Williams added: "She's playing really well and just honing her game. When she's missing, it's not by much.

"Obviously I have to play better than her and see how the match goes. She looked like she never lost a step."