ATP Indian Wells Day One Round-Up | Shapovalov stuns Tsitsipas as Monfils and Fonseca advance

The opening day of ATP Masters 1000 action at Indian Wells featured several notable results as unseeded players battled for a place in the second round. Gael Monfils, Matteo Berrettini, and Brazilian Joao Fonseca all progressed, while American wildcard Zachary Svajda produced one of the standout upsets by eliminating Marin Cilic.

Elsewhere, Jenson Brooksby continued his steady return to the Tour with a controlled victory over Alexei Popyrin, while Gabriel Diallo relied on powerful serving to secure a straight-sets win. The day concluded with Denis Shapovalov’s victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Joao Fonseca opened his Indian Wells campaign with a 7-6, 6-3 victory over Raphaël Collignon, showing composure in key moments of a tightly contested first set.

The opener remained on serve deep into the closing stages. Collignon briefly looked set to steal the set when he broke to lead 6-5, but Fonseca responded immediately with a break of his own to force a tie-break. From there the Brazilian raised his level, winning five consecutive points to close out the breaker.

The momentum carried into the second set. Fonseca secured the decisive break early and then controlled the match behind efficient serving. He landed 72% of first serves, winning 74% of those points, while also dominating behind his second delivery (72% compared to Collignon’s 44%).

Equally important was his ability to avoid pressure late in the match. Fonseca did not face a single break point in the second set and closed the contest with a confident service game. The victory sends the 19-year-old into the second round against 16th seed Karen Khachanov, presenting an immediate opportunity to test his level against an established Top 20 player.

Gael Monfils produced a composed performance to defeat Alexis Galarneau 6-3, 6-4, demonstrating that he remains capable of competing at a high level despite approaching his fourth decade on tour. The Frenchman relied on efficient serving to control the match. Monfils landed 71% of his first serves and won 73% of those points, limiting Galarneau’s ability to apply pressure in return games.

After recovering from an early deficit in the opening set, Monfils won five consecutive games to take control. From that point onward he dictated many of the baseline exchanges, finishing with 30 winners compared to 11 from Galarneau.

The second set followed a similar pattern. Monfils protected his serve comfortably while continuing to attack the Canadian’s second serve. He broke once and then held steadily to close the match. Monfils advances to face ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round, setting up a meeting between the experienced Frenchman and one of the Tour’s most dangerous servers.

Matteo Berrettini needed nearly three hours to overcome Adrian Mannarino, eventually prevailing 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in one of the most competitive matches of the day. The Italian struggled for consistency early, allowing Mannarino to claim the opening set. However, Berrettini stayed aggressive and gradually found opportunities late in the second set to break and force a decider.

The final set followed a similar script. Mannarino’s flat groundstrokes kept the rallies uncomfortable, but Berrettini’s power ultimately proved decisive at the key moments. He secured another late break to close out the match. Statistically, the contest highlighted Berrettini’s high-risk style. The Italian finished with 14 aces and 42 winners, but also committed 55 unforced errors, almost double Mannarino’s total of 29.

Despite the inconsistency, Berrettini’s ability to deliver in decisive games proved crucial. The victory sends him into a second-round clash with fourth seed Alexander Zverev, a matchup that will require a cleaner performance from the Italian.

Jenson Brooksby continued his positive return to competition with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Alexei Popyrin, delivering a controlled performance built around consistency and effective serving. The American protected his service games extremely well. Brooksby landed 81% of first serves and won 72% of those points, while also winning 71% of points behind his second serve. As a result, he held all ten of his service games during the match.

Popyrin’s powerful serve produced eight aces, but the Australian struggled to maintain consistency in longer rallies. Brooksby capitalised by applying steady pressure on return and converting key opportunities. He finished with 26 winners compared to 19 for Popyrin, but the more significant difference came in Brooksby’s efficiency on big points.

The victory moves Brooksby into an all-American second-round meeting with 21st seed Frances Tiafoe, a matchup likely to produce one of the most intriguing clashes of the next round.

Gabriel Diallo advanced with a 7-6, 6-4 victory over Mattia Bellucci, using his powerful serve as the foundation of the win. The opening set was tightly contested and eventually decided in a tie-break. Diallo recovered from a 1-4 deficit in the breaker, winning six of the final seven points to take control of the match.

Once ahead, the Canadian continued to dominate behind his serve. Diallo won 74% of first-serve points and held all of his service games throughout the match, denying Bellucci any significant opportunity to shift momentum. The Italian had pushed the first set deep and defended several set points earlier, but Diallo’s consistency in the key moments ultimately proved decisive.

The Canadian now advances to face 17th seed Andrey Rublev in the second round, where he will face a significantly greater test from one of the Tour’s most aggressive baseline players.

Denis Shapovalov produced one of the standout results of the opening day, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 to advance to the second round at Indian Wells.

The Canadian made a strong start, dominating the opening set with aggressive baseline play and efficient serving. Shapovalov converted both of his break opportunities while landing 83% of first serves, winning 84% of those points to keep Tsitsipas under constant pressure. The Greek struggled to find rhythm early and managed to win just two games as Shapovalov quickly moved ahead.

Tsitsipas responded in the second set, recovering from an early deficit to level the match. After both players exchanged breaks, the former world No. 3 capitalised during a loose service game from Shapovalov to move ahead. Serving for the set at 5-3, Tsitsipas faced pressure when he fell behind 0-40, but he saved all three break points and held firm to force a decider.

The third set proved tightly contested, with neither player facing a break point for most of the set. The key moment came at 4-5, when Tsitsipas served to stay in the match. Shapovalov created his first break opportunity of the set and converted immediately, sealing the victory and sending the Greek out in the opening round.

Statistically, Shapovalov held the edge on serve throughout the match. He landed 67% of first serves and won 78% of those points, while also proving more effective on return, particularly against Tsitsipas’ second serve. The victory sends Shapovalov into the second round, where he will face 29th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.