Breaking the ice in any meeting or date is difficult. If the other person is shy, the ice may never be broken unless you do something to start the conversation. Otherwise, the conversation would not take place and there would be a lot of silence. If you know something that you have in common, then this would make a great icebreaker.
Another icebreaker would be to think in advance of topics that are interesting and current. For example, if there is a news report in the area that just took place, that might be a good place to start to break the ice. Your overall goal is to find a topic that both of you share. The news is a good way to begin the conversation but don’t let it take over.