Evans had lost in the Paris Masters first round on each of his previous two appearances in 2020 and 2021British number two Dan Evans won for the first time in his career at the Paris Masters as he aims to finish his ATP season on a high.
Evans, 32, won 6-3 3-6 6-4 against 21-year-old American Brandon Nakashima to reach the second round of the final regular event in the men's season.
The world number 27 will play Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas next.
Jack Draper also plays on Tuesday as he aims to join fellow Britons Evans and Cameron Norrie in the last 32.
Fast-rising 20-year-old Draper, who has moved into the world's top 50 this year, plays France's Arthur Rinderknech.
Evans has been a late bloomer in terms of professional success, having reached a career-high ranking inside the world's 25 and earning his first ATP title since turning 30.
Finally winning a match at the Paris indoors event - one of the ATP Tour's nine Masters 1000 events and which always attracts a high quality field - was another notable first.
Evans started strongly by breaking his opponent's serve in the third game, drawing more errors by Nakashima from the baseline on his way to sealing the set.
Nakashima fought back in the second set which followed the same pattern as the first, this time in the world number 50's favour, when he broke in the third and ninth games.
Moving forward to the net and showing his variety helped Evans take control of the deciding set. He broke for a 3-2 lead and saw off a break point at 4-3, but was unable to convert either of his two match points in the next game.
Having lost some tight three-set matches recently, Evans ensured it would not happen again as he served out victory in an impressive all-round performance.
Evans is the second British player through after 12th seed Norrie beat Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic on Monday.
But former world number one Andy Murray is out after ending his year with a disappointing defeat by French veteran Gilles Simon.
