The Russian favorite sprayed shots to all parts of the court at Roland Garros, giving her opponent few chances on Day 2 of the tournament.
"I was just playing point by point, game by game, and it ended up like this," said Safina, half of the only brother-sister combination alongside Marat Safin to have served as the No. 1-ranked players in the world.
Third-seeded Venus Williams also advanced, surviving a sudden second-set slump to beat 
Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.
Maria Sharapova's bandaged right shoulder held up despite a shaky start, sending her into the second round with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus.
Keothavong had a couple chances against Safina on center court, but she wasted two break points in the third game of the first set and led 40-0 in the fourth game of the second but couldn't hold on.
"When that's happening to you all you want to do is get on the scoreboard, but I wasn't able to do that," Keothavong said. "It just kept getting harder and harder."
During the changeover for the final game, Keothavong sat in her chair with a French Open towel draped over her head. She emerged from the short break and quickly trailed 0-40, giving Safina three match points.
But Keothavong saved them all, on unforced errors from Safina, and even held two game points.
Safina wasted a fourth match point by hitting long and converted the fifth with a forehand winner down the line.
"After I [shook] her hand, she said: 'At least you could give me one game,'" Safina said. "I could imagine it's not nice to feel [like that] on the court, but I was just so into myself."
Victoria Azarenka and Ana Ivanovic won 6-0, 6-0 at the French Open last year, and Serena Williams did it in 2003.
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