Images: Nadal survives, Ivanovic in tears

Andy Murray saw off a 29-year-old local who had only won one match on the main tour and China's Li Na toiled through under cloudier skies in the French Open first round on Tuesday.

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British fourth seed Murray progressed 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 but was broken twice by Eric Prodon, who had only made three previous appearances in a Grand Slam, all at Roland Garros.

Murray did not need to produce his best against the slightly rotund Prodon, who broke in the first set with a drop shot after a series of half-hearted attempts.

The Scot found more rhythm in the second but was broken again in the third set as Prodon's remarkably laidback but occasionally successful volleys and smashes amused the fans.

There was more laughs when it organisers announced that American Ryan Harrison, who threw his racket into a tree when losing in qualifying last week, had won a lucky loser berth and he will play last year's runner-up Robin Soderling later.

Women's sixth seed Li, who like Murray was runner-up in January's Australian Open, began with an uninspiring 6-3, 6-7 6-3 win over Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova with the early crowds also somewhat lacklustre after a busy and sunny Monday.

"I'm still happy I could win today. It was a tough match. I also had a little bit of cramp at the end of the match, but hopefully she couldn't see that," the sixth seed smiled to reporters on Tuesday.

"Right now I am feeling every player has a chance to win a grand slam. But, you know, I always like to say, 'easy to say; tough to do'."

The feelings on Court Philippe Chatrier were completely different as France's Virginie Razzano, whose coach and fiance died eight days ago after a brain tumour, lost her match to Jarmila Gajdosova 6-3, 6-1 to warm and heartfelt applause.

"I had a lot of emotion and pain," she said tearfully. Number two seed Kim Clijsters returns from injury later against Anastasiya Yakimova.

Gojdasova, who also entered the court with a heavy heart after her marriage to Sam Groth ended recently, was full of admiration for Razzano.

"I just told her that I'm sorry for her loss, and what she did was pretty much incredible," said Gojdasova, who reached the fourth round here last year under her married name, said.

"She stood on the court and held her head up high and tried her best. It's only been a few days. You don't know how it's going to be.

"It's very sad news. Either way it was going to be a tough match for me to first try and concentrate on what I have to do; and second, I was on the other side of a person that was very hurt."

Former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic was reduced to tears sday wondering what had gone wrong after a first-round defeat at Roland Garros three years after winning the title.

The 20th-seeded Serb, who reached top spot in the world rankings when she prevailed on the Paris clay in 2008, lost 7-6, 0-6, 6-2.

"I'm very upset I lost, you know, because even though like I was injured, I felt like I was playing well," she told reporters as tears filled her eyes.

Ivanovic, 23, withdrew from the Strasbourg International last week because of a wrist injury but she said she did not feel any pain on court on Tuesday.

"The wrist now feels good. The inflammation is gone, so I hope it's not going to come back," she said.

Ivanovic seemed to have found her form when she rolled through a one-sided second set, despite still battling to stem unforced errors.

She went off the boil again in the sunshine on court Suzanne Lenglen in the decider and bowed out after one hour and 49 minutes when she netted a routine forehand.

"I wish I knew (what went wrong since 2008). I try to look back and see what I've done then and to do the same things. I'm just trying to work it out," she said.

Champion Rafael Nadal was forced to pull out all the stops as he battled back to beat John Isner 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 in the first round, his first five-set match at Roland Garros.

The Spanish world number one is gunning for his sixth title in seven years but struggled to cope with the giant American, made famous by his 11-hour epic match against Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon last year.

Isner almost went down in the record books again for a feat just as amazing having dominated the two tiebreaks but Nadal found another gear to pull away and quieten a restless crowd who had sensed a massive shock.

Nadal next meets compatriot Pablo Andujar.