Three can't miss ATP first rounds from Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS —The Indian Wells men's main draw kicks off on Thursday. Although the top players won't be joining the competition until the second round, there are plenty of Round 1 matches featuring up-and-comers--with young Americans sharing the spotlight.

1

Taylor Fritz vs. Reilly Opelka

These 20-year-old Americans know each other, and one of them may or may not own a pair of shoes featuring a full-body shot of Fritz.

Opelka is 6 feet 11 and wins 89 percent of his service games, but Fritz is ranked much higher and won their Newport Beach Challenger semifinal 6-3, 7-6 (6). He went on to win the tournament.

2

Frances Tiafoe vs. Ernesto Escobedo

Tiafoe made waves in Delray Beach last month when he beat Juan Martin del Potro, Hyeon Chung and Denis Shapovalov en route to his first ATP title.

Meanwhile, in Acapulco last week, Escobedo knocked out Top 10 player Jack Sock before losing to Chung.  Last month, he won three matches in the New York Open, coming through qualifying and the first round before losing in a third-set tiebreak to eventual champion Kevin Anderson.

3

Jared Donaldson vs. Evan King

Donaldson made the quarterfinals of Cincinnati last year, and was the only American to make the 2017 Next Gen Finals field. By reaching the semifinals in Acapulco, the 21-year-old reached a career-high ranking of No. 48.

Drawing King, a qualifier ranked No. 200, could make the path to Donaldson's first big breakthrough just a little bit easier. The two Americans have never faced off before.

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