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Leander stuns Bruguera

Indian ace Leander Paes continued his giant killing spree, ousting big-hitter and former French Open champion Sergi Bruguera of Spain in the second round of the Pilot Pen international.

India's number one player, who cracked the top 100 -- he is now ranked 100 in the world -- this Monday in the latest ATP listings, beat the Spaniard in straight sets 6-1, 6-2 to cruise into the third round of the tournament.

In the first round, Leander had upset 15th seed Marc Rosset of Switzerland 6-3, 6-0, and today's outing merely picked up from where the first one left off.

Paes, who after getting his first career ATP singles title when he annexed the Hall of Fame championship in Newport has been having a rather indifferent run, returned to top form in the Pilot Pen. The Indian, fully recovered from a recent injury to the rib cage, gave the seasoned Spaniard no chance to come back into the game after taking the first set 6-1.

The points that Leander has already gained, by beating two seeded players, should see him progress further up the rankings ladder when the next list is released, on Monday.

Simutaneously, Paes and his friend and partner, Mahesh Bhupathi, will be looking to defend their doubles title at this event, and hold on to their ranking of the world's 3rd best doubles combo.

Top seed Pete Sampras meanwhile allowed Lleyton Hewitt to break him twice and force a tiebreaker, before dismissing the young Australian 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) to advance to the third round.

Sampras dropped the first game of the match on serve, and later said he was having trouble acclimatising himself to his first appearence in New Haven.

"My tennis will get better. I certainly hope it will get better,'' he said, after the 1 hour, 12 minute duel. Sampras is in the same half of the draw as Paes, and it is conceivable that the two, who were practising together in Florida when Paes suffered his injury, could meet in the latter stages of this competition.

Sampras also said he was dwelling on Sunday's loss to Patrick Rafter in the finals of the ATP Championship in Cincinnati, which placed in jeopardy his goal to end the year at number one in the world. The match ended on a serve by Rafter that was first called out, then ruled an ace by the umpire.

"I don't like losing matches. I don't like losing, period, especially that way,'' he said, adding that he most wants to play Rafter this week.

Rafter, seeded second, was slated to play Jeff Tarango in a night match. The world's number three player will meet Sampras only if the two justify their seedings and make the finals.

Hewitt, whom Sampras called an up-and-coming player in need of a big weapon, said he was overwhelmed by the Wimbledon champion's serve. Sampras rocketed 12 aces, consistently serving faster than 120 mph.

Hewitt had beaten Andre Agassi earlier in the year to win the Australian hardcourt championships. He had said his goal in playing Sampras was to stay relaxed. But after falling behind 4-1 in the first set and in the middle of dropping one of four service games, the 17-year-old struck his racket on the court, breaking it.

"I was a set down before I knew it,'' Hewitt said. "At the time you really don't know what to do.''

Third seed Petr Korda defeated Andrei Medvedev 6-3, 2-6, 6-1. Korda, ranked no. 4 in the world and holder of the Australian Open title, will face fellow czech Bohdan Ulihrach, seeded 13th.

Defending champ Yevgeny Kafelnikov demolished Australian Todd Woodbridge, one of the two 'Woodies', 6-0, 6-3 in 48 minutes. "I never thought it would be so easy,'' he said later.

Tim Henman of Britain, seeded sixth, advanced with a 6-2, 6-3 over Vincenzo Santopadre of Italy.