INDIAN WELLS, Calif., March 13 (UPI) -- For the second time in three days, defending champion Lleyton Hewitt was given a tough time Thursday before pulling out a victory at the Pacific Life Open.
The top-seeded Australian banged out a 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-3 victory over Argentina's Guillermo Coria to reach the quarterfinals at the Tennis Masters Series event.
"It was a tough match," said Hewitt, who recorded his eighth straight match win to improve to 11-1 this season. "I'd like my opponents to play a lot worse, but he played extremely well out there. He didn't give me any real chances."
While Hewitt was expected to advance, three Americans, including a pair of qualifiers, joined him in the quarterfinals.
After James Blake outsted No. 5 Carlos Moya of Spain, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, Robby Ginepri shocked flu-ridden seventh seed Marat Safin of Russia 6-0, 6-1, and Brian Vahaly knocked off Spain's Tommy Robredo, 6-2, 7-5.
Vahaly made it to the qualifying draw only after four players withdrew. After reaching the main draw, the 21 year-old Atlanta resident eliminated Fernando Gonzalez and world No. 3 Juan Carlos Ferrero.
"Honestly, I don't think it's really set in yet," Vahaly said. "It just kind of keeps going."
Like Vahaly, Ginepri is making a "Cinderella" run. A year after failing to qualify here, the 20-year-old broke through with a win over the 2001 U.S. Open champion, who committed 39 unforced errors.
"I think it's really a good one for me because I haven't beat a top player like this before," Ginepri said. "I've never been able to get the job done. Today, I did. I think it will help out tomorrow or even the next time I play a top-10 or top-20 guy in the world."
Safin had his energy sapped by what he described as a "flu bug."
"I didn't feel good, I didn't have any energy, I couldn't concentrate," he said. "Two days ago, I was throwing up and had fever. But you have to play until the end, no matter what."
Next up for Ginepri will be Hewitt.
"Hopefully, I can get a game this time," Ginepri said. "Last time. I struggled with him. In Cincinnati, I lost 6-0, 6-0."
On the women's side, Hewitt's girlfriend, top-seeded Kim Clijsters of Belgium, rolled to a 6-2, 6-3 victory over American Chanda Rubin.
"I know I need to play my best tennis to beat Chanda," said Clijsters, who improved to 5-0 lifetime against the American. "Today, I did."
Clijsters' reward is a semifinal clash with the survivor of the match between Spain's Conchita Martinez and South Africa's Amanda Coetzer.
Seeded 16th, Coetzer surprised defending champion Daniella Hantuchova of the Czech Republic in the fourth round.
