Rafa Nadal had a severe fright before celebrating victory when he began the defence of his French Open title with a battling 6-4 6-7 6-7 6-2 6-4 win over John Isner on Tuesday.
The world number one was forced into his first five-set match at Roland Garros before finally outlasting the giant American, who quickly became a favourite among the fans despite Nadal's yearly exploits here.
"It's always a very, very close match with John," Nadal said at courtside. "I was there, I fought all the time. In the tiebreaks I was probably too nervous."
Image: Spain's Rafael Nadal reacts as he defeats USA's John Isner during their first round match of the French Open tennis tournament, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Tuesday, May 24, 2011.
Text: Reuters
Images: AP
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