US top seed John Isner has booked a second-round match at the ATP Hall of Fame Championships with Nicholas Mahut, his opponent in the longest match in tennis history.

Isner edged Ukrainian qualifier Sergei Bubka 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-3, to set up a tantalising clash on the Newport grass against Frenchman Mahut.

In 2010 at Wimbledon, Isner defeated Mahut 6-4 3-6 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (7-3) 70-68 after just over 11 hours of play over three days.

Top seeds Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic also advanced to the second round of the $US398,250 ($A391,450) event on Tuesday while three other seeds were eliminated.

Canadian third seed Raonic rallied to outlast Australian Matthew Ebden 3-6 6-3 7-5. Raonic next meets German qualifier Benjamin Becker, who defeated rising Belgian star David Goffin 6-4 6-3.

Japanese second seed Nishikori ousted Dutchman Igor Sijsling 6-4 6-4 to book a second-round match against Belgium’s Olivier Rochus.

South African Izak Van Der Merwe defeated eighth seed Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (3-7) 6-4, while Russian fifth seed Alex Bogomolov fell to American Sam Querrey 7-5 7-6 (7-5) and American Tim Smyczek beat Uzbek fourth seed Denis Istomin 6-3 6-3.