Isner pushes Nadal all the way in opener

Rafael Nadal and American John Isner embrace after their five-set battle in the first round at the French Open on Tuesday.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Five-time French Open champion beats American John Isner in opening French Open tie
Isner led two sets to one, but Nadal fight back ensures passage to second round
Andy Murray and Robin Soderling both into second round after victories on Tuesday

(CNN) -- Rafael Nadal survived a scare in his opening round match against John Isner at the French Open on Tuesday as the big-serving American took the five-time champion to five sets.
The World No.1 eventually prevailed against marathon man Isner 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 6-7 (2-7) 6-2 6-4 in just over four hours to set up a second round match with compatriot Pablo Andujar.
Nadal started the match in typically dominant fashion breaking Isner in the seventh game of the opening set, before serving out to take a one-set lead.
But Isner -- who won the 11-hour epic against Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon last year -- wasn't about to give up and promptly raised his game.

It's always a very, very close match against John because you play under pressure all the time and at moments in the tie-breaks.
--Rafael Nadal

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The six-foot-nine American -- ranked 39 in the world -- took both the second and third sets on the tiebreak raising the prospect of handing Nadal only his second defeat at Roland Garros and causing one of the biggest upsets in years.
But the Spaniard immediately mounted a comeback gaining an early break in the fourth before closing out the set 6-2.
Nadal secured another eary break in the fifth set but Isner didn't crumble and pushed his opponent all the way. But Nadal's persistence was rewarded as he took the final set 6-4.
"It's always a very, very close match against John because you play under pressure all the time and at moments in the tie-breaks. I didn't play very well, I was too nervous," Nadal said in an on-court interview after the match.
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In other matches, fourth seed Andy Murray eased into the second round beating French qualifier Eric Prodon in straight sets 6-4 6-1 6-3. The Briton will play Italy's Simone Bolelli in his next match.
Fifth seed and 2009 runner-up Robin Soderling needed four sets to beat American Ryan Harrison. The Swede's 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 7-5 victory means he will play Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
Austria's Jurgen Melzer, a losing semi-finalist last year, beat Germany's Andreas Beck 6-3 6-4 6-2.

But 11th-seed Nicolas Almagro of Spain is out after losing in five sets 3-6 2-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 to the Polish qualifier Lukasz Kubot.