( CNN ) -- Former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro continued his impressive comeback with a straight-sets win over Radek Stepanek in the first round of the Masters Series event at Indian Wells . The Argentine posted a 6-4 6-0 victory over his 67th-ranked opponent Thursday to set up a second-round meeting with defending champion Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia . `` I broke his serve very soon and took confidence with my serve . I played a good match , '' del Potro told the official ATP Tour website . After winning the hard-court grand slam in New York in 2009 , the 22-year-old missed most of 2010 with a wrist injury which saw him plummet down the rankings from a career-high of four . However , since capturing the title at Delray Beach last week without dropping a set , del Potro has climbed more than 400 spots in the rankings to 90th , but admits his injury still troubles him . `` Sometimes I feel a little bad sensation in my wrist , especially in humid weather , so I have many things to fight , but I 'm glad with my present , '' he said . Meanwhile , 21-year-old American hope Donald Young earned his first ever win in a Masters event as he came back from a set down to defeat Italian veteran Potito Starace 2-6 6-3 6-3 . Young will next play world No . 5 Andy Murray , who was given a first-round bye . Two other home favorites joined Young in the second round , with Ryan Sweeting defeating Spaniard Marcel Granollers 6-4 6-1 and Tim Smyczek rallying past Ukrainian Illya Marchenko 2-6 6-3 6-2 . In other men 's first-round results , Serbia 's Janko Tipsarevic raced past German Tobias Kamke 6-2 , 6-0 , big-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic fired 17 aces in a 7-6 6-7 6-2 win over Australian qualifier Marinko Matosevic , and promising Lithuanian Richard Berankis recovered from the loss of the opening set to defeat American qualifier Alex Bogomolov Jr. 1-6 6-3 6-4 . In the women 's draw , former world No . 1 Dinara Safina overcame an early break of serve to defeat Spain 's Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-3 6-3 . The 108th-ranked Russian displayed flashes of the brilliance that took her to the top of the rankings in 2009 as she set up a second-round match with Slovakia 's Daniela Hantuchova . `` I 'm getting more and more positive . I 'm working day by day and trying to get better and with the hard work I believe I will get better -- nobody forgets how to play , '' Safina told the WTA website . The 24-year-old will aim to record back-to-back wins on the WTA Tour for the first time since September last year when she takes on 26th seed Hantuchova , who was awarded an opening bye . There was also good news for the young American female players in action on Thursday . First , Sloane Stephens set up a meeting with world No . 1 Caroline Wozniacki following a 6-4 6-2 defeat of compatriot Janie Hampton . She was joined in the second round by fellow wildcard Christina McHale after the 18-year-old beat Uzbekistan 's Akgul Amanmuradova 6-3 6-1 , while U.S. Fed Cup players Bethanie Mattek Sands and Melanie Oudin also progressed after the pair recorded respective straight-sets wins over Russian duo Vera Dushevina and Elena Vesnina . In other women 's matches , Britain 's Elena Baltacha defeated Italian Roberta Vinci in three sets and Poland 's Urszula Radwanska prevailed against up-and-coming Serbian teenager Bojana Jovanovski in a final-set tiebreak .
Juan Martin Del Potro beats Radek Stepanek to reach second round at Indian Wells . Former world No . 4 defeats Czech opponent 6-4 6-0 in opening match . American Donald Young wins first match at Master Series level to earn clash with Andy Murray . Dinara Safina into second round after former world No . 1 beats Arantxa Parra Santonja .