INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- Five American men reached the quarterfinals of the Tennis Masters Sereis-Indian Wells last week. It was the first time since 1989 that so many had advanced that far here. More notable was that none were named Pete, Andre, Michael or Jim.

	Even though Robby Ginepri lost to Lleyton Hewitt in straight sets he improved his performance from the last time the two met.

The two quarterfinalists you're likely less familiar with are two young men from the state of Georgia: Robby Ginepri and Brian Vahaly. Though each advanced out of the qualifying this week, the two have pursued different career paths.

Ginepri turned pro at 18, and has primarily devoted himself to the Challenger events that are tennis' equivalent of baseball's AAA league. A tenacious competitor, his game is a more backhand-focused version of Jim Courier's. He smacked his share of winners with it, both in his comeback first-round win over Hyung-Taik Lee (from 3-0 down in the third) and his 6-0, 6-1 dismantling of a listless Marat Safin. A year ago, Ginepri's ranking stood at 145. Following his effort here, he'll zoom in to the low 60s. Even in defeat, he showed improvement: last August at the Tennis Masters Series-Cincinnati, he was double-bageled by Lleyton Hewitt. This year, he fought well before losing 6-4, 6-2.

Vahaly, 23, has come even further. His ranking was 267 at this time last year, largely because he not only attended the University of Virginia but also actually stayed to earn his degree. In a shocking contrast to the profane tennis world, Vahaly is inspired by a friend in a seminary and romantically involved with a lifelong sweetheart. Like Ginepri, he's got a superb backhand, a compact, surefire stroke that anchored him to wins over such rough customers as third-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero, heat-packing Fernando Gonzalez and steady Tommy Robredo.

"How awesome is it to pick up your phone when it's all done and have 40 messages?" Vahaly asked after he'd reached the quarters. "I feel lucky."

He will join Ginepri in the low 60s in the rankings.

	After four tries, James Blake managed to upset Carlos Moya.

Two other quarterfinalists are far more familiar: Andy Roddick and James Blake. Roddick likely will be the only one of these four disappointed to have reached the last eight. Though he played a superb tiebreak to squeak out a three-setter over Sebastien Grosjean in the third round, Roddick came up tepid in losing to Rainer Schuettler. Maybe the effort he put in to conditioning this winter will pay off as the year continues, but for now it appears that all the twisting it takes to smack his serve and forehand leaves him too physically strained to sustain quality tennis week in, week out. Blake also had his share of ups and downs, squandering a 5-1 third-set lead before squeaking out a 7-5 victory over Todd Martin in the first round. His third-round handling of Carlos Moya revealed impressive maturity, and when he took the first set against Gustavo Kuerten, signs were looking good. But then Kuerten found another gear, and Blake's serve betrayed him.

So only the fifth quarterfinalist, Vince Spadea, made it to the semifinals. Though his 21-match losing streak three years ago makes it easy to equate him with futility, this 28-year-old is an accomplished baseliner (once ranked as high as 19) with a superb backhand. The issue for him has always been mastering tennis' alchemy of tactics and emotions. Of late he's been working with Pete Fischer, the pediatrician-turned-coach notable for the decade he spent honing the young Pete Sampras. Fischer has spent hours refining Spadea's serve, including the incorporation of the familiar rocking front heel that's a Sampras trademark. The view from here is that Spadea is like the box of chocolates in "Forrest Gump" -- you never know what you're to going to get. His improvements show he's definitely got a few chewy nougats left in him, though.

	Andy Roddick might be the only American quarterfinalist displeased with his performance at Indian Wells.

Even more encouraging for American tennis fans is that the quintet that fared so well here adds up to seven when you throw in Mardy Fish (a finalist last week in Delrey) and Taylor Dent (winner in Memphis). Talented shotmakers with big serves and shotmaking panache, Fish and Dent were ranked too low to enter the main draw here, and when each reached the final weekend of the events preceding Indian Wells, it precluded playing the qualifying. So go the nasty nuances of the tennis circus.

Yet going from 250 to 50 is one thing. Climbing the next hill – and staying there while others advance, too – is a whole other battle. The history of most tennis stars is that they rise more like Roddick, rapidly soaring from the fringe to the upper echelon. Sampras, Agassi, Chang and Courier had all played Slam finals by age 20.

And the tennis calendar doesn't help. The European spring clay season is exceptionally treacherous for Americans. The summer swing of American hard-court events leading up to the U.S. Open will best tell the story. For Roddick, the mission is to reach another Slam semi or win a Tennis Masters Series event. For Blake -- who defied tradition by making his way from the Challengers to the top 30 in the past two years -- it's a Slam quarter and a Tennis Masters Series final. For the others, it's winning any ATP tournament or advancing to the second week of a Slam.

The other good news is that these Americans enjoy one another's company. Save for Roddick, none has been too highly-touted. They're a humble group, more likely to think of themselves as teammates than superstars (even Roddick is one of the boys). A globetrotting bevy of e-mails, cell phone calls, meals and practices are all breeding the most collegial crop of Americans since the early Open era. It's a nice sight.

Joel Drucker, technical editor of Tennis for Dummies, is covered the tournament in Indian Wells for ESPN.com. E-mail him at JDruck@aol.com.