Yet another outrageously beautiful day in the desert, with sun and temperatures in the mid-80s (Fahrenheit). Kim Clijsters surprisingly scored a comprehensive win over Martina Hingis, valorously earning a spot in the women's final. She will face Serena Williams, thanks to the controversial withdrawal of Venus Williams. On the men's side the quarterfinalists were determined, highlighted by an extroardinary Rafter-Corretja classic.

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Kim Clijsters (14) def. Martina Hingis (1), 6-2, 2-6, 6-1
Semifinal
Stadium
Previous head-to-head: Hingis leads 3-0

17-year-old Belgian Kim Clijsters confirmed her enormous potential today with a convincing 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 upset over world number one Martina Hingis in today's first semifinal. Clijsters, seen by many (including Hingis herself, in a comment yesterday) as a legitimate top-ten-level talent, has thereby booked a place in the most prestigious final of her young career.

It was evident from the first game that Clijsters was ready to rumble and that Hingis might be shaky. The stocky Belgian made a statement on the first point of the match, ripping a clean backhand winner. At 15-40 Hingis made her own statement of sorts, with a double fault on break point. Clijsters kept the pressure on and closed out the set, 6-2, in just 21 minutes. Showing no sign of nerves, covering the court quickly and sending Hingis scrambling continually with down-the-line shots from both sides, Clijsters was mighty impressive. Martina, who as we noted earlier this week appeared heavy-legged this week, was not moving particularly well, and sometimes reached for shots instead of taking an extra step to hit it solidly.

The second set was a reversal of fortunes, as Clijsters opened in horrible fashion, allowing Hingis to sprint to a 5-0 lead. It appeared that Hingis was looping the ball deep and to the centre of the court, in order to avoid giving Clijsters angles for her down-the-line shots. The Belgian commented about this sequence, "I was a little bit too far behind my line and not playing that aggressive anymore." Clijsters was also suddenly making awful errors (14 unforced errors versus just 3 winners in this set ). Kim regrouped to win two games, but Martina closed out the second set 6-2 in 26 minutes.

The key to the third set was probably game four, which was the first time a player held serve in the set, and it went Clijsters's way. Hingis appeared poised to do some damage at 30-30, but sent a rather wild backhand long. The Belgian converted on game point thanks to some of her compact but piercing two-handed backhands, and she had the crucial 3-1 lead.

Liberated now, Clijsters began slamming her down-the-line shots as she had done in the first set, and once again a sluggish Hingis could not find an answer. Clijsters ran the table with three straight games, and converted her first match point with a forehand return winner. Make the final: 6-2, 2-6, 6-1. The Belgian, cool and composed throughout the match, excitedly raised both fists in glee and waved her racquet to thank the crowd, most of whom had supported her during the match.

While Hingis gave full credit to the winner ? "She basically didn't have a weakness" ? she also said, "I think I let her play well." Martina was obviously not quite at her sharpest here, as she had already exhibited an uncharacteristic slow-footedness when she was tested by Barbara Schett in the fourth round. From her post-match comments she suggested she had let her fitness regime slide a bit since her wins in Doha and Dubai last month. "Just physically, probably I have to work on. My tennis, it will come."

As for Clijsters, a strong, quick athlete with impressively compact strokes and a keen competitive nature, she has now shown that she has the game and character to beat anyone on tour. Kim is just starting to make a name for herself, even in her own country. "I think a lot of people still see me as the daughter of the soccer player in Belgium [her father Leo was an ace defender for Belgium's national side]. Maybe," added Kim upon reflection, "not anymore now."

Kim Clijsters moves to the final, where she will play Serena Williams, whose semifinal non-match with her sister Venus was a sea of controversy

Serena Williams (3) def. Venus Williams (7), by walkover
Semifinal
Stadium
Previous head-to-head: V. Williams leads 4-1

We approached this match with trepidation, hoping that sporting values and not family dictates would decide the match. Both of yesterday's beaten opponents of the Williams sisters voiced the opinion of many tennis observers that past matches between the sisters have been tainted. Lindsay Davenport suggested that the result of their most recent match, the 2000 Wimbledon semifinal won by Venus, was predetermined, "whether it was on purpose or subconsciously". Elena Dementieva was much more direct when as ked for a prediction: "I don't know what Richard [the father of Serena and Venus] thinks about it. I think he will decide who is going to win."

Finally, there was no match, but plenty of intrigue. It was announced just before the 6:00 PM start time that Venus had withdrawn with a right knee injury ? officially, "patellar tendonitis". The crowd howled angrily when the stadium announcer intoned the news, and a number of fans went to the box office to ask for a refund (unsuccessfully). A men's doubles match between Hewitt/Rafter and Federer/Hrbaty was quickly moved in to replace the Williams match, and some angry fans booed the poor players as th ey came on court.

The scribes in the press centre clucked excitedly about the news. Reactions ranged from outraged ("a black eye for the WTA") to bemused ("I just knew this would happen"). A series of press conferences were held, involving Serena, Venus, and the WTA trainer who examined Venus before her withdrawal. The trainer, Michelle Gebrian, bears the imposing title of Primary Health Care Provider for the WTA Tour. All of the interviewees were accompanied by a nervous-looking WTA functionary.

The official line is that Venus has been suffering from the tendonitis since a tournament in Nice last month (she was also bothered by tendonitis last year, but in the other knee). According to Gebrian, she's been getting therapy here, "ice and ultrasound treatements, all week." Venus's quarterfinal opponent yesterday, Elena Dementieva, noticed that Venus "had a little injury" during that match. Venus had a practice session an hour before the match, and found she was, as she put it, "moving like a gran dma." "I was having a difficult time bending? just stopping, and changing directions."

Returning from the unhappy practice session at around 5:30, Venus asked to see Gebrian. The Primary Health Care Provider put Venus through a series of "functional tests", which involved lunges and quick movements, "and she was definitely unable to function." But the decision of whether or not to play was left up to Venus. Venus also said she consulted a male doctor just before match time. "The doctor, he didn't know me. I guess he didn't know what my injury was like and what I could and couldn't do." Finally, Venus decided to withdraw.

Both Serena and Venus were asked to comment on the suggestions that their matches are in some sense rigged. Serena: "Players can say what they want. People are always going to speculate?. I think if my dad would decide, maybe Venus wouldn't be up 4-1 and it would be 3-all by now." Venus: "Everyone has their own opinion. I guess rumour is more exciting than the truth. The truth is I'm suffering from an injury." Venus is hoping to play at the Ericsson later this month and is listed as "probable" for the event.

One strange aspect of the episode was the attempts of both Serena and Venus to minimize their father Richard's role in the affair. "He wasn't there," said Venus. "I think he left a couple of hours earlier." But our eagle-eyed On The Line photographer told me that she saw the sisters returning from the fateful practice session just after 5:00, accompanied by Richard, who had his arm around a limping Venus.

As Dementieva's comments suggest, Richard's role in the Williams saga is crucial. Recall that last fall he threatened to withhold his daughters from tournaments until the WTA agrees to give them the sisters get a cut of television and gate revenues. At the end of the Venus press conference, a reporter got to the crux of the issue, alluded to Richard's threats, and asked, "Do you see how this flows into questions about what you're doing?" Venus simply answered, "No, I don't". She is one of the few in t ennis who doesn't.

So there you have it. Draw your own conclusions?.

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Men's third round action

Our men's tournament is down to the final 8, and the quarterfinal matchups look something like this:

• Jan-Michael Gambill vs Yevgeny Kafelnikov (7): The aggressive and precise Gambill pulled off his second upset of the week, adding reigning number one Kuerten to his earlier win over 14th-seeded Dominik Hrbaty. Kuerten was strangely error-prone and amorphous, and even his trademark moaning grunt was absent until the final game of the match. "Just the way the match goes. You know, here, the ball comes and goes too fast, no really big rallies. Hard court, sometimes it's tough for me," lamented the Brazilian star.
  
  
• Pete Sampras (3) vs Patrick Rafter (11): This should be a thriller, as both appear in top form. Sampras beat the French Dynamo Sebastien Grosjean in the late night match, 6-1, 7-6 (9-7). Sampras was imperial early on, but Grosjean got his teeth into the proceedings in the second set and probably would have forced a third set had it not been for a botched volley when he was up 5-3 in the tie-break. But Pete is by and large looking very sharp this week, and determined to get his game b ack on track. See below for the Rafter Report.
  
  
• Nicolas Lapentti vs Andre Agassi (4): Lapentti's results have been disappointing in the past 12 months, but he is showing excellent and assertive form here. He upset 10th seed Tim Henman in an entertaining match today. Agassi made a meal of his third-round match with Nicolas Kiefer today: he served for the match at 6-4, 5-4, but failed to convert and was forced to grind out a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win.
  
  
• Lleyton Hewitt (6) vs Nicolas Escude: Hewitt has advanced through the draw about as quietly as he can advance through a draw, disposing of the skilled Czech Bohdan Ulihrach today by an impressive 6-2, 6-4 score. Escude has repeated last year's run to the Indian Wells quarterfinals by again surprising a countryman. Last year he took advantage of a horrendous outing by Cedric Pioline, and this year he profited from an error-strewn performance by the 13th-seeded Australian Open finalist Arnaud Clement (34 unforced errors from Arnaud), in a head-scratching 6-1, 6-2 score. What's up with these France versus France results, Nicolas? "It's very difficult, French versus French. The best of the French players are worried about the second ones. He missed his match completely."

Patrick Rafter (11) def. Alex Corretja (8), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
Third round
Stadium 2
Previous head-to-head: Tied 1-1

This third-round showdown was accompanied by more than a little history. Rafter had been upset with the rowdy behaviour of the Spanish crowd at the Davis Cup final and with the fact that the Spanish players seemed to endorse and even encourage the crowd's rambunctiousness. Corretja apologized to Rafter in Dubai two weeks ago, and Rafter now says there are "no worries" between them.

Corretja also faced Rafter on his way to his championship here last year, and it was one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament. This one was even better, a match of extraordinary quality which saw Rafter's superb serve-volley game get the better of a determined Corretja who was slashing returns and brilliant passing shots in front of a packed and enthralled throng at Stadium 2.

There was a splendid atmosphere for the showdown. As they have been for each of Rafter's matches, the 'Roo Girls were present. These female Rafter fans proudly waved inflatable kangaroos and brandished a green and gold banner inscribed with "good golly, what a volley", to support their idol. A pro-Aussie trumpeter was also in attendance: he not only played "Waltzing Matilda" in Rafter's honour, but also sportingly belted out a few bars of the "Toreador" air from Bizet's opera Carmen in honour of the Sp aniard. He also made sure to play "Three Blind Mice" when he thought Rafter was the victim of a bad line call. The popular Corretja had his own vocal, but less-organized, supporters.

Alex took the first set thanks to a service break on a booming forehand return at 3-3, and closed it out for 6-4 on a service winner. Patrick roared back in the second set by breaking serve on game two, courtesy of several costly Corretja forehand errors. "He went to sleep a little, that was probably his error," commented the Aussie after the match. Pat consolidated with impeccable and sometimes spectacular serving and volleying to take the second set 6-3.

The third set was magical, with both players pulling out every shot in their repertoire. The only break of serve came at 3-3, Corretja serving. At 30-30, a long rally ensued. A biting Rafter slice forced a mis-hit Corretja backhand that landed out, and Rafter converted the break point by sneaking to the net and knifing a perfect backhand volley. Rafter remarked: "The third set, I raised my game, he raised his game. For a while there I thought he was going to be too good. It was just one or two poin ts here or there, and the match just swung." Rafter defended his serve with solid serving and magnificent volleys, and made no mistake on an overhead on his first match point.

Make the final: 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, and many thanks to both classy warriors for a classic match.

Quotable quotes

Pete Sampras gets the last word on Venus Williams's controversial withdrawal: "I would have liked to have known earlier. We could have played at 6:00, it would have been better for the fans. But I guess it just flared up." (The last line was delivered with slightly rolling eyes and drew chuckles from the reporters who were present)