Fritz, like his opponent just 18 years of age, reached his first World Tour Final last month in Memphis and has since rocketed up 97 spots in the world rankings to a career high of 80.

Yet Tiafoe, despite being ranked almost 100 places lower at 177, still seems to have the beating of his fellow countryman.

An efficient service game in the first and third propelled him to a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 victory over his friend to set up a second round clash against Belgium's 15th seed David Goffin.

“Winning a match in Indian Wells is huge,” Tiafoe said.

“It’s a dream to play on this court, there’s so many great matches played on that court.

"To play a friend early, as two wild cards, it was unbelievable.”

Nineteen-year-old Croat Borna Coric continued a day of teenage success with a 6-2, 7-5 win over France's Lucas Pouille.

Argentina's Leonardo Mayer overcame big serving Australian Sam Groth in one of the most eagerly anticipated first round clashes on a day of men's action, triumphing 6-4, 6-3.

Spanish players also enjoyed a good day, with Marcel Granollers defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina's Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-0 and Pablo Carreno Busta beating Russia's Evgeny Donskoy 6-3, 6-4.

All the top seeds, including Serbia's defending champion and world number one Novak Djokovic, will enter proceedings in the second round.

Britain's world number two Andy Murray is also in the draw, along with Spain's Rafael Nadal and Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka.