Rafael Nadal currently World number one at the US Open vanquished his German opponent Bjorn Phau 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 7-6 (7-4) and got his first-round win at Flushing Meadows. Nadal, 22, needed almost three hours to see off a determined challenge from qualifier Phau in the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The Spaniard even double-faulted when serving for the match to hand Phau a break back, and he required a second tie-break to finally wrap things up.
Rafael Nadal goes on to face American Ryler De Heart, ranked 251, who had a surprise 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-4 3-6 6-4 win over Belgian Olivier Rochus.
"To win in three sets is always a good result," said Nadal. "I had some difficult moments, so that's going to help me a little bit to be prepared for the pressure moments. "I played well today when I had the pressure moments."
He added: "I am a little bit tired, yes, but it is the US Open so I have to try my best here. "The problem is playing Toronto, Cincinnati and Beijing, then coming back here. In two weeks, two times, 12 hours' jet lag. "I'm a little bit more tired than I usually am but, at the same time, I must be very happy how I did this year."
There were easy wins for fourth seed David Ferrer, who beat Martin Vassalo Arguello, and seventh seed David Nalbandian, who overcame Marcos Daniel.
But ninth seed James Blake needed five sets to overcome fellow American Donald Young 6-1 3-6 6-1 4-6 6-4.
Blake looked poised to make quick work of Young, leading two sets to one and up 2-0 in the fourth before the left-handler hit back to take the match to a deciding set.
"Donald really picked up his game and really played great toward end of the match," said Blake, who committed 50 unforced errors in the match.
Gael Monfils was an early winner on the first day's play in New York, the Frenchman crushing Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 6-4 6-4 6-1, while 10th seed Stanislas Wawrinka beat Simone Bolelli 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 6-3.
Jurgen Melzer upset 27th seed Feliciano Lopez 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 2-6 6-4, with Britain's Andy Murray a possible third-round opponent for the Austrian.
