This has been an unusually hot week in Indian Wells. The locals tell us that temperatures are a good 15 to 20 degrees above the seasonal norm. Among the few who did not seem to mind the conditions were the three Argentines in action today -- Guillermo Coria, Agustin Calleri and Gisela Dulko -- all of whom won their matches.

We focus on Calleri, who was involved in one of the best men?s second round tilts, and Dulko, who sprung the biggest upset of the women?s tournament so far.

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Agustin Calleri (22) def. Robin Soderling, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
Second round
Court 7
Previous head-to-head: First meeting

One of the best matches on this afternoon?s schedule saw the 19-year-old Swede Robin Soderling, who had impressed us in his first round win over Ivan Ljubicic, challenging the solid Argentine with the excellent single-handed backhand, Agustin Calleri (pictured at right). Calleri came back from a break down in the third set, and displayed some crackling shot-making to subdue his young opponent.

In sweltering afternoon heat, Calleri opened up a 3-1 lead, making excellent use of a variety of tactics -- baseline blasts, net attacks and drop shots -- to keep the more one-dimensional Swedish baseliner off balance. Serving impeccable, Calleri stayed on top throughout the first set, winning it 6-4.

Soderling came back strong in the second set, returning better and painting the lines with his flat baseline blasts, and began to worry Calleri?s serve. Soderling failed to convert three break points at 1-0, but finally broke the Argentine?s serve at love to take a 5-3 lead. Soderling promptly served out the set with an ace to level the match.

At this point Calleri appeared to be faltering. His play was now shakier, and his forehand was now yielding too many unforced errors. When Calleri lost serve at 2-2 of the third set on a forehand error, a Soderling win appeared likely. But at 3-2 Calleri?s incisiveness returned, and he re-broke by hammering an explosive running forehand winner.

As Soderling served at 3-4, it looked as though fatigue was setting in for the Swede. He produced a weak forehand error and a double fault to trail 15-40. Soderling saved one break point with an ace, but on the second chance Calleri jumped on a weak second serve and mashed a big return winner.

Serving for the match at 5-3 Calleri looked nervous, and errors caused him to trail 15-40. But he stormed back to win the next next four points -- three of them, including his match point, with aces.

Next up for Calleri tomorrow is a third round date with the 17 year old with the scary forehand, Rafael Nadal. Nadal may be the most talked-about teenaged player in men?s tennis, but ?Rafamania? certainly has not reached this part of the world. Nadal?s match this afternoon with Nicolas Massu was, like Calleri-Soderling, played on court 7, which is the smallest of the outer courts. It turned out to be short work for the young Spanish lefty. Massu was under the weather with a sinus infection, and retired when trailing 6-2 1-0.

The short amount of time spent on court should give Nadal an advantage against Calleri, given the energy-sapping nature of Calleri?s win. The match is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, and the players will get a slight promotion, moving up from court 7 to court 6.

Gisela Dulko (Q) def. Nadia Petrova (7), 6-3, 6-3
Third round
Stadium 2
Previous head-to-head: First meeting

The biggest upset of the women?s tournament so far was produced today by another Argentine, 19-year-old qualifier Gisela Dulko, who ousted 7th seed Nadia Petrova in one of the early matches this morning.

We had expected to see some rust in Petrova?s game here. This was her first tournament since her opening round loss at the Australian Open two months ago. ?I played a lot of tournaments late last year and was a little tired and burnt out,? Petrova had told us on Wednesday. ?My immune system didn?t hold, and I caught the flu in Australia. Then I came back to Europe and caught a cold again. So I had to cut down and take a break.?

The rust was more apparent today than during Petrova?s straight-set win two days ago over another qualifier, Anna-Lena Groenefeld. Perhaps the high heat was a factor (the Groenefeld match was played in the cooler late afternoon). As well, Dulko did a better job of extending the rallies and forcing Petrova to hit a lot of shots. Whatever the reason, Petrova?s serve and forehand, the bedrocks of her game, were not very damaging today.

Make no mistake, however, this was a strong performance by Dulko, who never trailed in the match. Dulko returned well, and broke Petrova?s vaunted serve four times. ?I played very aggressive,? commented the attractive, blonde Argentine. ?I didn?t serve well, but my forehand, my groundstrokes were good today. But I think the key was my return.?

Dulko?s most nervous moments came after she looked in danger of blowing a 5-0 second set lead. She failed to serve out the set at 5-1, but did the job at 5-3, closing the match strongly with back-to-back service winners. Dulko raised her arms excitedly to celebrate the triumph.

Gisela Dulko has been playing the best tennis of her young career in recent weeks, coming off a Challenger final in Midland and a quarterfinal appearance at the WTA tourney in Memphis. After Memphis, Gisela made the decision to leave Miami, where she had been based, and return to Argentina. She is now being coached by her older brother Alejandro, a former player who gave up his dreams of pro tennis in 1998 to become a coach. Dulko sees the move back to her native land as positive. ?I?m living at home agai n, so I?m happy.? And working with her brother, with whom she is close, is a big part of the pleasure. ?I really like to work with him,? said Dulko. ?I?m very happy now. I can feel it on the court.?

Yet another source of happiness for Dulko is knowing that she has a very good chance to reach the quarterfinals, which she will do if she defeats her good friend and fellow qualifier Marissa Irvin on Tuesday. ?I played Irvin a few weeks ago [at the Midland Challenger],? recalls Dulko,?and I beat her. Was a tough match, 7-6, 7-6, I think.? It was not quite as close as Gisela remembers, the actual score being 7-6, 6-3. ?Yeah, is tough match, but is a good round,? added the optimistic Dulko. ?Yeah, it ?s good.?

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Wandering in the desert

Moya crashes out

The biggest shocker on the men?s side today came in the evening session. Carlos Moya, the 6th seed, was victimized by the flamboyant 22-year-old Georgian Irakli Labadze, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3. Labadze is known as ?Freak Show?, a moniker that reflects his high-risk game. Labadze had given Andre Agassi a tough test in San Jose last month, losing 7-6 (7), 6-4, and the win over Moya constitutes the second-best win in his roller-coaster career. His best win was over, yes, Agassi, in Shanghai three years ago.

Hot hot hot!

This afternoon temperatures reached the mid-90s Fahrenheit, and with no breeze and a pounding sun the conditions were difficult for players and spectators alike. A fan on the grounds told us that Fernando Gonzalez vomited during his arduous 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Victor Hanescu. Not only did Fernando soldier on to complete this match successfully, he also won a doubles match later in the afternoon.

Gonzalez will be back at work tomorrow, for a featured afternoon match against top seed Roger Federer. The world number one was in withering form today as he beat Andrei Pavel for the fourth time this year, a 6-1 6-1 flummoxing.

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Quotable quotes

Andy Roddick is one of many observers who would like to see the elite of women?s tennis return to full strength. ?You know, the way the two Belgians have come along, kind of started dominating, I?d love to see the Williams sisters come back, and kind of be a two-on-two battle royale. I think that would be good for the women?s game.?

Roger Federer was asked if his countrywoman Martina Hingis, whom he knows well, has given him any advice as to how to deal with his new-found fame. ?I don?t think I need to get any advice from her. I don?t think she wants to give any, because I think everyone has to find his own direction.? But Federer added that he learned from watching Hingis when they teamed together at the Hopman Cup in 2001. ?That was great to see how professional she was.?