The three U.S. men will all face seeded opponents in the second round.

Opening the tournament at Center Court, Helgeson posted a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Kristepehr Elien of the U.S. Virgin Islands while Paul and Bass also cruised to straight-set wins with Paul earning a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Gustavo Ramirez of Paraguay and Bass rolling to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Marvin Rolle of the Bahamas.

“It was pretty cool,” said Helgeson on his Pan Am debut at Center Court. “The crowd was nice and it was very exciting. It was a great opportunity.

Helgeson will meet No. 8 seed Carlos Salamanca of Columbia in the second round.  It’s a good draw and it’s a deep draw, every match is tough. I’ve got a lot to do to prepare but I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

Paul put aside any concerns about the red clay surface and the Marapendi Club in his first-round victory.

“I’m trying to get used to the clay. The clay court shoes helped,” said Paul noting the change in his new footwear for the tournament. “I was slipping and sliding all over the place but I felt I had better traction today.”

Paul will meet No. 10 seed Marcel Felder of Uruguay in the second round.

Bass also had little trouble in advancing to the next round and will take on No 9 seed Michael Quintero of Columbia.

“I know who he is – I think I’ve practiced with him once – and he’s obviously very, very good,” said Bass on Tuesday’s match with Quintero. “I’m looking forward to it.”

The trio will be trying to add to a collection of 41 Pan Am medals won by U.S. tennis athletes since the inception of the Games, but the team members are also out to enjoy the experience.

“I’m just trying to have fun out here,” said Paul on the tournament. “This is an experience of a lifetime so you just have to enjoy it.”