Isner, a 2007 NCAA finalist at Georgia Tech, improved to 3-0 head-to-head against Becker, the NCAA winner at Baylor in 2004. Isner started the week at a career-high ranking of 77.

Former Australian Open finalist and World No. 8 Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus saved eight of nine break points he faced to defeat Indianpolis semi-finalist Frank Dancevic 7-6 (3), 6-3 to reach the second round, where he will play Isner.

The Cypriot, who is also a former Wimbledon semi-finalist, has slipped to No.146 on the ATP Rankings.

Baghdatis began the year strongly with a fourth-round showing at the Australian Open and a quarter-final appearance in Johannesburg, but he last won consecutive matches on the ATP World Tour back in February at Delray Beach, when he also reached the quarters.

In other first round matches, Latvian Ernests Gulbis, loser in eight of his last ten matches, beat Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei 7-5, 6-2; Australian qualifier Carsten Ball beat Frenchman Marc Gicquel 6-2, 7-6 (6); and American qualifier Ryan Sweeting defeated compatriot Taylor Dent 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.