Venus Williams downs Francoise Abanda, Ajla Tomljanovic through at Coupe Banque Nationale

The 19th-ranked Williams, the top seed in Quebec City, is the only top-60 player in the field at the WTA International hard-court event, and managed to get past Abanda 7-5 6-3.

Abanda got off to a flying start against seven-time major winner Williams, breaking in the opening game and fending off a break point in the fourth game to hold for a 3-1 lead.

But Williams reeled off three straight games, breaking to 15 in between two holds, and she broke again in the 12th game to take the set.

Abanda, who served at 80 per cent for the match, was broken again early in the second as Williams raced to a 2-0 lead.

But the American was broken straight back, as Abanda threatened to cause her more problems - only for the 17-year-old to hand the advantage straight back as Williams held on.

Second seed Ajla Tomljanovic, representing Croatia, was a 6-4 6-1 winner over Irina Falconi of United States.

French third seed Kristina Mladenovic also came out of the first round unscathed, downing Great Britain's Naomi Broady 6-4 7-5.

Sixth seed Michelle Larcher De Brito, of Portugal, was felled by 2012 finalist Lucie Hradecka 7-6 (7-4) 6-1, while eighth-seeded Hungarian Timea Babos battled past Swiss Romina Oprandi 6-1 3-6 6-4.

Qualifiers Olga Savchuk of Ukraine, and Czech Barbora Krejcikova both continued their runs in Canada.

Savchuk ousted Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski 6-3 7-5, and Krejickova was too good for American Sachia Vickery winning 6-2 6-4.

Croatia's Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, fresh from a run to the US Open last 16, continued her form with a 6-3 6-1 trouncing of Paraguay's Veronica Cepede Royg.

Melanie Oudin came from behind to beat France's Alize Lim, the American winning 5-7 6-3 6-3.