Indian Wells, Flavio Cobolli and Luca Nardi immediately out

Cobolli and Nardi eliminated

Flavio Cobolli and Luca Nardi were defeated as they took the court in the Italian night on the first day at the Indian Wells Masters 1000, the first of the season, scheduled at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden (prize money of $8,963,700) along with the WTA 1000 that will be broadcast live on SuperTennis, live and free-to-air. 

Cobolli (40) continues to wait for his first tournament victory. The Roman made his main draw debut last year, losing in the first round to Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena. This year new defeat, on a comeback. He lost 36 62 62 to 22-year-old Colton Smith, world number 261, playing his first career match on the major circuit. Raised on a farm in Tenino, Washington, among cows and horses, chickens and pigs, an avid fisherman, è the winningest singles player on the NCAA circuit for the University of Arizona. In February he won his first Challenger title in Cleveland.

Like last year, Cobolli played not at 100 percent, tested by fever in the days leading up to the match. Against Smith he also had a chance to take a break lead at the start of the second and third sets but did not take advantage of them and instead lost serve in the game succe

Nardi (67) returns to Indian Wells for the second consecutive year. Here last year he reached the third round after a memorable victory over Novak Djokovic, a success that allowed him to break into the Top 100 for the first time."It's very good to be back here,” he told the ATP. “They may not know my name here, but I'm the guy who beat Novak Djokovic".

The Marche player, who improved his best ranking this week thanks to the first career ATP quarterfinal played in Dubai, picked up just three games against former British Top 10 player Cameron Norrie, now No. 77, who è won 60 63. The South African-born left-hander had defeated him at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in 2022.