The softest Slam surface poses a hard road for Victoria Azarenka.

The former world No. 1 exploited a jaw-dropping 17 double faults fending off 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko, 6-4, 7-6 (4), to reach the French Open second round for the first time in four years.

More: Osaka Keeps Slam Streak Alive

Azarenka's reward for her hard-day's work on a cool Court Simonne-Mathieu?

A second-round date with world No. 1 Naomi Osaka, who was two points from elimination before battling back for an 0-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1 victory over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova on Court Philippe Chatrier.

"Just the usual second-round match," Azarenka told Tennis Now afterward. "But, yeah, it's going to be exciting for me. I love to challenge myself against the best players. I don't think about it."

Second-rounders have featured first-rate opponents for the two-time Grand Slam champion recently. Azarenka's second-round opponents have included defending-champion Elina Svitolina in Rome, former US Open champion Sloane Stephens in Madrid, former No. 1 Karolina Pliskova in Stuttgart, 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in Indian Wells and two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova in St. Petersburg.

"Again, it's a second round. I don't really look at it that way," Azarenka said. "But it's going to be exciting. I had some good wins in the last couple weeks against top 10 players, so I feel that I'm ready to play against top players. And, yeah, it's going to be exciting. Last time we played, it was very one-way match, and so I hope to do better next time."

Osaka crushed Azarenka, 6-0, 6-3, at the 2018 Rome, two years after the Belarusian dished out breadsticks at the 2016 Australian Open.

The Australian Open champion is riding a 15-match major winning streak into her showdown with Azarenka and expects "one of the hardest matches of the year." 

"I mean, she's been playing really well recently, and there is no way that it's going to be a similar match to the one I played her in Rome last year," Osaka said. "So I'm expecting, like, one of the hardest matches of the year."

Photo credit: Victoria Azarenka Instagram