American wild card John Isner made a dramatic debut at the Pacific Life Open, Friday in Indian Wells, converting on his fourth match point to edge past Italian Simone Bolelli 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-6(2).

Both players made crucial saves late in the third set – Isner fought off four break points at 5-all, and Bolelli saved three match points in the 18-point 12th game – to push the match to a decisive tie-break. Bolelli took the first two points but was held off the board the remainder of the way as Isner won the next seven.

“I hadn't even stepped foot on that center court before, going out to my match, so I didn't really know what to expect out there,” said Isner. “It was a little bit tough conditions today. The wind was swirling, and after that first set I stopped moving my feet and started shanking and everything, which wasn't good. But it was a lot of fun to play out there, center court. I like it here. I feel like I played pretty well.”

The 6’9” North Carolina native, who came into the tournament ranked a career-high No. 92, plays his next match against World No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko. Isner said: “I think I'm going to be able to hold a good amount and just take my chances on his service games, try to get to the net. I don't want to be rallying with him. That's what he does best: Stays back from the backcourt and will outrally you.”

Compatriot Mardy Fish turned in an impressive comeback in the night session, clawing back from a 5-2 deficit in the first set to defeat German Florian Mayer 7-5, 6-4.

Last week’s Las Vegas titlist, 20-year-old Sam Querrey, continued his recent success as he opened with a 7-6(5), 6-3 win over Peru’s Luis Horna. Querrey, the No. 3 American behind Andy Roddick and James Blake, plays his second round match against two-time Pacific Life Open champion and former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt.

Another former World No. 1, Russian Marat Safin, failed to break out of his 2008 slump as he lost his first round match against Austrian Jurgen Melzer, 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-2. Safin has a 1-4 match record this season with his only win coming against Latvian teenager Ernests Gulbis in the first round of the Australian Open.

Serb Janko Tipsarevic, who went the distance against Roger Federer in a 10-8 fifth set loss at the Australian Open, suffered another heartbreaker, falling to Chilean Nicolas Massu 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4) in three hours and 12 minutes.

Former Top 10 players Tommy Haas and Mario Ancic, both of whom are on the road back from injury, won their first round matches against Frenchmen. Haas came back to defeat Julien Benneteau 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 to set up a second round clash with American No. 6 seed Andy Roddick, and Ancic ousted Gael Monfils and next meets 12th-seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez.

Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, meanwhile, defeated Argentine Sergio Roitman 6-1, 6-4 to earn a second round match up against World No. 1 and three time champion Federer.