Today was men's quarterfinal day at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. In something of an oddity, each match pit players whose mother tongue is English against practitioners of other languages, and the English speakers won every time. The all-Anglophone men's final four will see Lleyton Hewitt battle Pete Sampras and Tim Henman face off against Todd Martin. The women's doubles final also followed the script, crowning our first champions: the American-Australian duo of Lisa Ray mond and Rennae Stubbs.

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Lleyton Hewitt (1) def.Thomas Enqvist, 6-4, 6-4
Quarterfinal
Stadium
Previous head-to-head: Hewitt leads 4-1

Lleyton Hewitt, a mere 21 years old, achieved the prodigious feat of being the youngest-ever season-ending number one last year. Despite his tender years, the young man has been a fixture on tour for quite a while: this is already his fifth appearance at Indian Wells. Today the Aussie speedster matched his best-ever performance at this event by clinching a berth in the semifinals with a workmanlike straight set win over unseeded Swede Thomas Enqvist.

Enqvist, the 2000 Indian Wells runner-up, was always going to be one of the most dangerous unseeded here. He has proved his worth by knocking off two of the seeds, Thomas Johansson and Roger Federer, looking extremely sharp along the way. But he does not match up well against Hewitt, having lost to the number one four times in succession. After today, make that five. Enqvist never found the range with his potent serve, and finished the match with a very low 40% first serve percentage. This was fatal against one of the best returners in the game, and Hewitt made Enqvist pay with a service break in each set.

Hewitt's first break came early, at 1-1. Enqvist double faulted, his second such transgression of this game, to set up a break point, on which the Swede dumped a backhand into the net. This was one of 44 unforced errors by the erratic Enqvist in the match. Thomas, who was playing his first match on the main stadium court, was clearly not on his best form. "There are different conditions out there on centre court than on other courts," said Enqvist, "and I had trouble with timing on the court today. It 's faster on centre, much faster."

In truth, many of the Swede's errors were semi-forced by Hewitt's speed and consistency. The Aussie ran down many shots that against almost any other opponent would have been winners, or at least would have opened up the court for follow-up winners. What is perhaps even more impressive than his speed is the way Lleyton gets himself back in position after his frenzied sprints, always ready for the next shot. The feet are always moving. If one adds to this mix his consistent shotmaking and fabled compei tive spirit, one can appreciate how hard it is for a slower, high-risk baseliner like Enqvist to beat Hewitt.

Again in the second set, Hewitt picked up an early break ? in the first game this time ? and held it the rest of the way. Hewitt's service games were dominant: Enqvist never had a break point all match long, which is remarkable considering the quality of Enqvist's return game. Hewitt's first serves had good pop (9 aces), and the second serves were consistently deep to the corners. After the match, Enqvist pointed to the Aussie's serve as the most noticeable improvement in the past year. "I think he's improving all the time," said the impressed Swede. "Today, for example, he was serving very good. I think that's the best he's been serving against me."

Hewitt's only scare in the match came in the second set, when one of his forehands accidentally dinged a ballgirl stationed at the net. The ball bounced off the net post and ricocheted directly into the poor girl's face. "It was unfortunate, the angles. It came off and sconned her," commented Hewitt quaintly after the match. Both Hewitt and Enqvist came over to see if she was okay. The girl nodded yes, and then was called off to be relieved by a replacement. "I think she was trying to hold back the t ears on national TV," Hewitt said of the brave ballgirl. But not even remorse over wounding the girl could halt Hewitt's march to victory. Make the final: 6-4, 6-4, in just over an hour and a half.

Don't look now, but Lleyton Hewitt is undefeated since returning from a bout with chicken pox to win San Jose and reach the finals here. He looks like the number one that he is, and is getting better with each match. "I really didn't expect to come back and play this well and have these kind of results straight off, and win ? what is it? ? nine matches in a row now," admitted the combative little fellow from Down Under. "Obviously, I'm getting more confident." This is very bad news for the rest of the tour.

Pete Sampras will now try to topple Hewitt in tomorrow's semifinal. Sampras shivered his way to a 6-2, 6-4 win over Rainer Schuettler on a cold and blustery evening. Many spectators followed the action huddled under blankets. "It reminded me of Hamburg a bunch of years ago when it was cold and windy," commented Sampras, who was applying an ointment to his shoulders and back during the changeovers to keep his muscles from getting stiff. "It was pretty nasty out there."

Sampras-Hewitt is an intriguing repeat of last year's U.S. Open final, in which Lleyton crushed the American great, 7-6, 6-1, 6-1, and this will be their first meeting since that day. Sampras tried to downplay any revenge angle to the rematch. "I mean, if the draw happened and I played him, sure, I'm looking forward to it. But it wasn't anything like I'm dying to play him." Believe him if you wish!

Todd Martin (WC) def. Yevgeny Kafelnikov, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
Quarterfinal
Stadium
Previous head-to-head: Kafelnikov leads 7-2

Wild card invitee Todd Martin (pictured at right) scored a popular win this afternoon, as his countrymen cheered the 31-year-old warhorse to a quarterfinal win over Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the last match played this afternoon.

Martin, a gentleman and a classy ambassador for his sport, was receiving throaty support from the local faithful. And his scowling Russian opponent played the role of villain to the hilt. Early in the second set, while Kafelnikov was complaining about a line call, a leather-lunged fan yelled out, "Stop your whining!" According to our collaborator C********, seated nearby, Kafelnikov turned and told the fan, "F*** you!" The spectators within earshot of the incident gasped in horror. A linesman jogged over to the chair to report the incident to the chair umpire, who of course issued the ever-popular "verbal abuse" warning.

As far as the tennis was concerned, the final score went somewhat against the run of play, as Martin himself admitted after the match. Kafelnikov was constantly worrying Martin's serve, earning 11 break points, but only converted on one of them. That came in the second game of the match, and the Russian immediately gave it back. Meanwhile, Martin was a model of opportunism, converting the only two break points he obtained. "I think Yevgeny probably did outplay me," said the sporting American. "Howeve r, I think that's one of the neatest things about our sport, is the scoring system is geared towards critical moments. During those critical moments he didn't outplay me. And that's encouraging for me."

After an early exchange of breaks in the first set, the players held serve until the tie-break, which went something like this:

• YK serving: Kafelnikov dominates a rally, pounces on a short ball, and finishes with an overhead. 1-0 YK.
• TM: Martin scores with a tough, kicking serve out wide. 1-1.
• TM: Martin serves and volleys, Kafelnikov's pass is long. 2-1. Martin.
• YK: Service winner to backhand. 2-2.
• YK: After a long rally, Martin sends a forehand too long. "Noooo!" groans the crowd. 3-2 Kafelnikov.
• TM: Martin serves and volleys, Kafelnikov pulls a crosscourt backhand pass wide. 3-3.
• TM: Martin pulls a routine forehand wide. 4-3, Kafelnikov with the mini-break.
• YK: Martin sneaks into the net and nails a deep backhand volley winner. So much for that mini-break. 4-4.
• YK: 127 mph ace. 5-4 Kafelnikov.
• TM: Service winner to backhand. 5-5.
• TM: Martin serves and volleys, Kafelnikov sends another passing shot too long. 6-5 Martin, set point.
• YK: Martin sends Kafelnikov scrambling with a backhand up the line, then wrong-foots him with another one. 7-5, game and first set to Martin.

In the second point Kafelnikov continued to amass break points ? 3 in the first game, 3 more in the third ? but couldn't convert. "I just couldn't come up with the right shots at the right time," lamented the Russian. With Kafelnikov serving at 3-4, Martin seized one of his rare openings. He immediately put "Kafel" in trouble with a lovely forehand that just curled inside the line. At 30-30, Kafelnikov throws in a costly double fault, and the crowd applauds heartily. Break point: a solid 125 mph serv e is met with a deep forehand return, which Martin follows up with an unanswerable backhand to the opposite corner. So it's 5-3, Martin serving for the match. The American makes no mistake, winning his first match point with a perfectly placed ace on the sideline. Make the final: 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 Martin.

Todd Martin's semifinal opponent tomorrow will be Tim Henman, who defeated Gastón Gaudio in a similarly opportunistic manner. Gaudio played well, but converted just 2 out of 14 break points, while Henman made good on 5 of 9. Henman and Martin have split 6 career meetings, the most recent being a 5-set comeback win for Henman at last year's Wimbledon. Todd anticipates that both he and Tim "will be fighting for the opportunity to attack one another. I think it will provide a pretty interes ting match. It usually does."

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Raymond/Stubbs roll to title

The first championship of the tournament, the women's doubles crown, was decided tonight. The excellent top-seeded duo composed of Philadelphia's Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs, the pride of Sydney, collected yet another trophy by defeating unseeded Elena Dementieva / Janette Husarova, 7-5, 6-0. The match was played in front of a surprisingly large throng that stayed after the featured Sampras-Schuettler match despite the frigid conditions.

After briefly sizing up the competitors, we knew a Raymond/Stubbs win was inevitable. This, for three reasons. First, they are the dominant team in the game, and were playing unseeded opposition. Second, they had the good sense to play in long pants in the chilly conditions. Third, they were always moving forward, while both Dementieva and Husarova served and stayed back. Passive doubles usually doesn't work on fast surfaces against a good, aggressive team.

Dementieva/Husarova put up a good fight in the first set, with Elena returning strongly and Janette showing a nice array of finesse shots and lobs. Stubbs served for the first set at 5-3 and was broken, but Husarova promptly lost her serve and the set thanks to the dynamic net play of Raymond/Stubbs. The second set was short, as everyone probably just wanted to get out of the cold. Raymond/Stubbs add to their fine career statistics with their 26th career title as a unit, and fourth already this season.

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"Tompa" speaks

Swedish star Thomas Enqvist took a few minutes to chat with us after his loss today. Here are a few thoughts from the gentle big man known in his homeland as "Tompa".

• Despite his disappointment at the loss, Thomas is pleased with his recent form. The defeat halted an 11-match win streak that included his 19th career title in Marseille. "It's always disappointing to lose, but I'm playing well at the moment. Lleyton's a great player and he had a decent match, I think."
• Enqvist was guarded on the question of whether Hewitt will have staying power as number one. "I think he's improving all the time. But you know, in the men's game today, it's tough to stay. But I think he definitely has the potential to be up there."
• We saw Enqvist's fellow Swede Thomas Johansson uncharacteristically throw his racquet and argue line calls during his narrow first-round loss to Enqvist here this week, and wondered if Johansson was feeling the pressure of rising expectations since unexpectedly winning the Australian Open. "I don't think so. But I never saw a match where he throws a racquet, so? I think he played a good match and if he wins that match maybe he wins the tournament. Like I said, the men's game, it's very tough. But I thi nk Thomas has great potential. He can beat anyone in the game, of course, and he can compete and win more big titles this year for sure."
• Enqvist was playing a match on an exposed outside court during the wild wind and sandstorms on Wednesday, and feels that play should have been cancelled that day. "It was kind of a joke that we continued to play. I mean, we won't stop for rain or snow or nothing if we play in that condition. I think we have to be careful. It should be tennis out there, especially in a big event." Should there be a "wind rule" that would decree that play be suspended if there are high winds, as players such as Marat Sa fin and Marcelo Ríos suggested this week? "Yeah, absolutely. There have been a few situations, in Australia and then here. I remember at the U.S. Open a few years ago when I played Hewitt at night. We should definitely do something about that."
• On next week's Masters Series event in Miami: "Well, I've had some success there, the quarters a few times and one time the semis. It's another big event. So I'm trying to stay in shape and I'll play hard."