Paris ? Defending French Open champion Albert Costa needed the biggest comeback of his long career to avoid a first-round loss Tuesday.

The Spaniard was one game from elimination in straight sets, then rallied to beat weary Argentine Sergio Roitman 6-7 (3), 2-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2.

Former champion Michael Chang, playing at Roland Garros for the final time, lost to Frenchman Fabrice Santoro 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.

Also eliminated was No. 6-seeded Andy Roddick, who lost in the opening round for the second consecutive year, this time to Sargis Sargsian 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

In women’s play, three-time champion Monica Seles lost to Nadia Petrova 6-4, 6-0. It was the first time Seles has failed to reach the quarterfinals in 11 appearances at Roland Garros, and the first time she has been beaten in the opening round of a major event.

Seles lost in the second round at the Australian Open in January.

Roitman has won just one match on the men’s tour, but he led 5-4 in the third set before Costa came back.

Roitman called for a trainer in the third set to try to ward off cramping, and by the fifth set he limped badly at times. Costa raced to a 4-0 lead in the final set and closed out the victory in 3 1/2 hours.

The No. 9-seeded Spaniard avoided becoming the first French Open defending champ to lose in the first round since the Open Era began in 1968. It’s the first time he has won after dropping the first two sets.

Chang became the youngest men’s Grand Slam champion when he won the 1989 French Open for his only major title. Now 31, he plans to retire after the U.S. Open.

In a ceremony after his loss to Santoro, an emotional Chang received a standing ovation from the center-court crowd.

“This tournament has been so special to me,” he said, his voice breaking. “The funny thing is that in my 16-year career, I’ve only cried twice, and both times were on this court.”

Roddick struggled with his serve, faced 20 break points and made another early Grand Slam exit. He has advanced beyond the third round only three times in 10 major events.

“I just wasn’t putting serves in the court today, and I was flying my forehand a little bit,” Roddick said. “It started unraveling in the second set, and got out of hand in the third set, and got even more out of hand in the fourth set.”