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2011 French Open Update: John Isner Forces Rafael Nadal's First-Ever Roland Garros Fifth Set

Unseeded John Isner has taken world No. 1 Rafael Nadal to his first-ever fifth set at the French Open. The Georgia Bulldogs product took the first game of the fifth set, too.

Isner impressed more than a few just by taking a set from Nadal, but then he went and took a second to establish a lead in the match (6-4, 6-7, 6-7). Nadal took the fourth set convincingly (6-2), and the pair are tied a game apiece in the fifth after more than three hours of tennis.

There aren't any tiebreaker rules in effect here, meaning this match will go on as long as it must, a scenario that could play in Isner's favor. Can Isner hang in there and pull off perhaps the biggest upset in Grand Slam history over the five-time and defending Roland Garros champion?

For more on the 2011 French Open, visit SB Nation's tennis hub and The Daily Forehand. For more UGA sports, join Dawg Sports.

Photographs by coka_koehler used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.