Indian Wells 2025 Day 1 Recap

Day one at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open saw the top half of the draw kick off their Round of 128 matches, with only one match not completed as Zhizhen Zhang vs Gabriel Diallo was suspended at 4-4 in the final set due to rain.

The problem with 96 player-draw Masters 1000 matches that last two weeks is that the opening days feature very few interesting matches due to a lack of them, and there are no top seeds in action due to their byes.

That doesn’t mean the quality is low, but it’s hard to pick out matches you’d be overly interested in watching if you’re a casual fan or paying a premium for tickets.

The main talking points of day one were homegrown success as Marcos Giron, Tristan Boyer and Colton Smith all progressed into round two.

Smith’s win was his first at the main draw ATP level as he defeated Flavio Cobolli in straight sets. Elsewhere, former champion Cam Norrie, who enjoys the Indian Wells condition, took out Luca Nardi.

Day One 2025 BNP Paribas Open Round of 128 Results

Colton Smith Cracks Cobolli

Colton Smith has arrived on the big stage at Indian Wells, rallying past Flavio Cobolli 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in his first main draw ATP level match.

Smith, who’s been successfully plying his trade at Challenger Level this season, was an underdog against the 40th-ranked Cobolli, but after his two qualifying wins, he was able to outplay the Italian in the big moments.

The American fired 27 winners, moving forward and fending off some crucial break points. I’ve watched a couple of Smith’s matches this season, including his one against Karue Sell, and he’s got an athletic game. A typical American college player in that sense but given where the game is heading, he’s likely going to rise up the rankings.

Norrie Knocks Off Nardi

Cameron Norrie enjoys conditions in the California desert, and the 2021 BNP Paribas Open champion made a dominant start to his Indian Wells campaign, dismantling Italy’s Luca Nardi 6-0, 6-3 in just 64 minutes.

Nardi made headlines last year when he stunned Novak Djokovic en route to the fourth round last year but he had no answers to Norrie’s spinny forehand and flat backhand game as the Brit controlled proceedings from the first ball, winning 23 of 26 points behind his first serve and making very few mistakes from the baseline.

Norrie has made at least the quarterfinals in three of the past four years and after a ropey 2024 season, he’s looking to bounce back here. Next, he will face Jiří Lehečka, where he holds a 2-1 edge in their head-to-head.

Other Matches of Note

Elsewhere, Norrie’s 2021 final opponent, Nikoloz Basilashvili, fell to Marcos Giron 7-5, 7-6(3) for more American success, but Nishesh Basavareddy and Reilly Opelka both lost in their opening matches on Stadium 1.

Wildcard Opelka fell to Safiullin, who picked up his first tour-level victory since November. Opelka initially looked in control after securing an early break, but Safiullin broke back at 5-5 in the opening set, and the Russian carried that momentum into the second, saving two break points at 3-4 before breaking for 5-4 and closing out the match 7-5 6-4.

Basavareddy, making his Indian Wells main draw debut, fell to China’s Bu Yunchaokete 7-5, 6-4. The American wildcard showed flashes of the form that saw him take a set off Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, but Bu held the edge in their baseline exchanges and sealed the win in straight sets.

Frenchman Corentin Moutet bagged his first win in Indian Wells, defeating Jordan Thompson 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Moutet is always an interesting watch, using his variety, mixing slices and off-pace shots to disrupt the Aussie’s rhythm.

Highlights

Indian Wells 2025 Day 2 Round of 128 Matches

Did you watch any of the opening round in Indian Wells? Did you notice any changes with the surface?