Enqvist foils Sampras' escape to victory
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

Indian Wells, March 18: Desert demons again bedeviled Pete Sampras, and Thomas Enqvist leapt on the American's erratic serve to claim a three-set win at the Masters Series event, here on Friday.

Philippoussis did what Sampras couldn't, making do without his trademark missile serve in a 7-6 (9-7), 6-4 victory over Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands.

Philippoussis said the inflamed knee that forced him out of the tournament in Memphis last month hasn't bothered him.

The departure of Sampras left Nicolas Lapentti as the highest seed in the semi-finals. The eighth-seeded Ecuadoran cruised past Morocco's Hicham Arazi 6-2, 6-0.

Lapentti will face unseeded Spaniard Alex Corretja, who ousted sixth-seeded Swede Magnus Norman 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

The men's semifinals will be preceded by the final of the women's, in which Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport renew their battle for world domination.

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