Two-time defending men's champion Carlos Alcaraz is vying to join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win three straight Indian Wells titles, takes on 27th-seed Denis Shapovalov of Canada.
The world No 3 from Spain is the highest-ranked player remaining in the men's draw after No 2 Alexander Zverev's second-round exit. Top-ranked Italian Jannik Sinner is serving a belated three-month drugs ban.
Third-seeded American Taylor Fritz, last year's US Open runner-up who won the Indian Wells title in 2022, took on Chile's 31st-ranked Alejandro Tabile.
The winner of that match next faces 14th-ranked Jack Draper of Britain, who shook off a slow start to beat Jenson Brooksby 7-5, 6-4.
Trailing 4-1 in the opening set, Draper found his groove to fend off the American who is ranked 937th in the world after missing two years during which he had two wrist surgeries, rehabbed a shoulder injury and served suspension for missing multiple anti-doping tests.
"Jenson is an unorthodox player, he makes life really difficult," said Draper, who flung his racquet in frustration at one point in the first set.
"He doesn't make the rhythm easy. I got off to a slow start, I missed a couple of opportunities early on.
"But I'm glad of the way I fought and competed. Even though it wasn't my best tennis today, I'm really happy with the way I tried my best to stay cool."
In other early matches, Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, ending the run of the Dutch lucky loser who toppled 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the second round.