Murray won the second 7-6 (5) on a tie break before calling it a day.
Meanwhile, judge Craig Revel Horwood urged the public to "get over" the tie break.
Murray's spirited Serbian opponent battled back from a break down to take the first set to a tie break.
He looked set for an eighth defeat when trailing 6-5 in the tie break before forcing the match into a third set.
But a dubious line call that went against him fired up the Briton in the fifth game and he went on to take the set, again on a tie break.
But the Scot responded well, winning the third set 6-2 in just 33 minutes before surviving another tie break to win through in four sets in three hours and 27 minutes.
Murray had beaten Nadal on three of their seven previous encounters but fell just short of matching the Majorcan at critical moments, notably in the second set, which went to a tie break.
Barcelona, who have the same points as Real but lie behind them on the head-to-head tie break rule used in the Spanish league, and dent the hopes of Samuel Eto'o of notching up a third successive Spanish league triumph.
BBC: SPORT | Football | African | Diarra puts Mali above Madrid
The big-hitting Brands, ranked 59th, unleashed a fearless barrage of attacks off both sides and even led the second set tie break 3-0 only for Nadal to claim the set en route to a 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 6-3 victory.
Playing her first tournament since injuring her ankle at January's Australian Open, Na let both a 5-1 lead in the first set -- and then a 6-1 lead in the tie break -- slip before dismissing the 19-year-old who had knocked out Caroline Wozniacki and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
The 26-year-old Clijsters battled back to tie it up at 3-3, and then both players squandered potentially match-winning break opportunities to ensure a tie-break.
When he slipped a mini-break down in the tie-break it looked like the missed opportunitues would tell for Murray.
Federer had never lost a tiebreak in a U.S. Open final, winning his four previous ones, but Del Potro ended that sequence by taking the tie-break 7-5 to tie the scores.
Agassi showed his class to break Henman again, and in the tie-break the Briton spurned four match points before the American held his nerve to seal the match.
But after a break of serve apiece, Nalbandian dominated the tie-break and took it with a sweeping forehand pass.
But Dodig hit back with his first break of the match and the set eventually went to a tie-break.
Still, the danger lurked as Federer saved a break point in the very next game, but come the tie-break, Falla's challenge completely evaporated.
Nadal stepped up a gear to break back at 5-3 before taking it on a tie-break and one break was enough in the third.
The third set went the distance, with Czink fighting back from a break down before saving two match points at 4-5 and then forcing a tie-break.
Soderling, who had won six of their previous nine meetings, failed to convert two break points of his own in the next game and the set went to a tie-break.
Verdasco outdid even Wawrinka with an incredible win over David Ferrer on Louis Armstrong Stadium as he recovered from two sets down, then a break down in the decider and finally 4-1 down in the final set tie-break.
There was never any sign of a break in the third either and it was no shock when it too went to a tie-break which Murray won 7-4 to set up a clash with Radek Stepanek in the third round.
She then earned two break points in the next game but could not convert them and the match went into a tie-break.
He had a chance to break Ferrero's serve in the eighth game but failed to capitalise as the set headed for a tie-break, in which he did enough to win.
Zheng, the world number 35, edged an epic 65-minute first set in a thrilling tie-break.
But the Swiss pair breezed through the ensuing tie-break 7-1 to move within one set of victory.
Morgan, ranked fourth, survived a first set tie-break to defeat Brazilian Thiago Moura Monteiro 7-6 (7-3) 6-4.
The duo traded breaks twice in the second but though Williams edged ahead 5-6, Craybas forced the tie-break.
Philippoussis finally cracked when he double-faulted at 5-5 in the third set tie-break to hand Ferreira match point.
应用推荐