Teenagers shine as tournament heats up at Indian Wells

Teenagers Frances Tiafoe and Brona Coric grabbed the center-court spotlight when the men joined the women for first-round play Thursday in the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Tiafoe outlasted Taylor Fritz 3-6, 6-2, 3-6, in a battle of 18-year-old Americans, and Coric, a 19-year-old Croatian, beat Lucas Pouille of France 6-2, 7-5.

Those two matches helped kick off a formful opening day for the men, with Nicolas Mahut of France, Leonardo Mayer of Argentina and Robin Haase of the Netherlands also advancing.

Mahut beat qualifier Renzo Olivo of Argentina 6-2, 6-4; Mayer ousted Sam Groth of Australia 6-4, 6-3; and Haase toppled Diego Schwartzman of Argentina 6-3, 6-4.

Daniela Hantuchova, a two-time tournament champion, lost to Daria Kasatkina of Russia 6-2, 6-4 as the women completed their first round. It was the second straight first-round loss for Hantuchova, who won her titles in 2002 and 2007.

The women will begin second-round play Friday with Venus Williams scheduled to play her first match at the tournament in 15 years in the afternoon and top-ranked Serena Williams on the schedule for the night session.

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