INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- Lleyton Hewitt, adjusting to the wind and blowing sand better than Pete Sampras was able to do, beat Sampras 6-2, 6-4 Saturday in the semifinals of the Pacific Life Open.

	Lleyton Hewitt won his 17 consecutive match on U.S. soil, beating Pete Sampras 6-2, 6-4.

The 21-year-old Hewitt, nine years younger than Sampras, outplayed him in every phase of the game and beat him for the fourth consecutive time -- including the U.S. Open final last year.

The Indian Wells victory, in a match played with grit swirling in the air, gave the Australian a 5-4 edge in career meetings against Sampras.

Hewitt, who won the San Jose tournament earlier, is 10-1 in matches this year and has lost just four of 37 matches dating to the start of the U.S. Open. He has won 17 consecutive matches on U.S. soil.

In the final Sunday, Hewitt will face Britain's Tin Henman, who was a 6-3, 6-3 winner over American Todd Martin in the other semifinal.

Sampras, left looking for his first title since Wimbledon two years ago, had beaten Rainer Schuettler in two sets under similarly windy conditions the previous evening, but he was completely off his game against the top-ranked Hewitt.

Often pausing to wipe the fine sand from around his eyes, Sampras had one more double fault -- four -- than aces, and made 30 unforced errors to Hewitt's 14. While Hewitt won 14 of his 18 points at the net, Sampras was just 29-for-49 when he went to the net.

Hewitt closed it out with a hard forehand just beyond Sampras' reach as he came to the net -- a final Hewitt winner that was typical of the entire match.

Sampras, currently ranked No. 13, reached the Indian Wells final a year ago, losing the title match to Andre Agassi. Agassi lost to Michel Kratochvil in the first round this year.