How many players can say they won their first ATP match on their birthday?

Colton Smith fell into that category when he beat Flavio Cobolli 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 as main draw play kicked off at the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday.

The native of Washington state paid no mind to the big ranking differential — he came in at No. 261 to Cobolli’s 40th — as he continued to impress very early in his pro career.  

The now 22-year-old bagged his first Challenger title in Cleveland a little more than a month ago and pulled off two upset wins — on paper — in qualifying. 

He slammed 27 winners at Stadium 7, thrived at the net and played most of the big points better than the Italian, going 7-for-9 on break points while saving 11 of 15 break points himself. 

Cobolli’s double fault into the net sealed the contest. The former University of Arizona standout wasn’t the only collegiate star to earn a memorable win.

At Stadium 4, California native Tristan Boyer earned his maiden Masters 1000 win in his Masters debut by edging Aleksandar Vukic 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4). 

The 117th-ranked wildcard from Altadena near Los Angeles — who starred at Stanford — picked up his game after hitting two winners and making 15 unforced errors in the first.

The 23-year-old got the better of Vukic in some ferocious forehand exchanges in the second to change the momentum.

Boyer then overturned a break deficit in the third and played inspired tennis in the tiebreak, counter punching superbly to steal two straight points and get to 4-2. 

Vukic — the Australian who flourished at his home major in January and took a set off Novak Djokovic last year in the desert — couldn’t come back.

Boyer next meets compatriot and World No. 11 Tommy Paul, the second highest ranked player he’ll face in his career after losing to Alex de Minaur in Melbourne.

Former UCLA Bruin Marcos Giron added to the victory tally for US men by topping 2021 finalist Nikoloz Basilashvili 7-5, 7-6 (3) later at Stadium 4. Giron didn’t have any issues generating pop on his serve, thumping 11 aces. Basilashvili, hit hard by an elbow injury, had to go through qualifying.

Results went against two other Americans that played at centre court, Stadium 1.

 Nishesh Basavareddy of Newport Beach lost to China’s Bu Yunchaokete 7-5, 6-4 as the wind picked up in the desert.

Those two also made their debut in the main draw in Tennis Paradise.

Bu usually got the better of the 19-year-old wildcard when they traded forehands, but Basavareddy did plenty of damage with his backhand.

Indeed, he showed glimpses of his Australian Open form, when Basavareddy took a set off Djokovic in the first round. He even prevailed in a 27-shot rally, though it wasn’t enough. Reilly Opelka played after Basavareddy and exited at the hands of Roman Safiullin, 7-5, 6-4.

Opelka possesses more experience than Smith, Boyer and Basavareddy but injuries meant the 27-year-old hadn’t competed in Indian Wells since 2022.

 The 6-foot-11 resident of Florida looked to be in control after breaking in the middle of the first set. Safiullin, however, broke to stay in the set, helped by a backhand winner down the line as Opelka served and volleyed.

He broke again for 6-5, sending backhand returns low to Opelka’s feet as the latter continued to press forward. A two-game swing decided the second, with Safiullin saving two break points at 3-4, then breaking for 5-4.

Opelka’s Masters losing streak extended to seven. Elsewhere, two-time quarterfinalist Kei Nishikori returned to the desert for the first time since 2021 and overcame Jaume Munar 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (3).

In a roller-coaster affair, the 35-year-old former US Open finalist from Japan led by a set and break but was two points away from losing late in the third.