INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- Defending champion Daniela Hantuchova was knocked out of the fourth round of the Pacific Life Open 6-4, 6-4 by 16th seed Amanda Coetzer on Tuesday.

	Daniela Hantuchova was unable to defend the first WTA tour title that she won.

Coetzer, 31, won with her usual return-everything style, but also went on the attack more than usual against the 19-year-old Slovakian.

"My own game is probably to be a better defensive player than offensive,'' said Coetzer, a native of South Africa. "But it was important for me to try to be offensive before she did, and I think I did that pretty well.''

Coetzer, making her 13th appearance in the Indian Wells tournament, reached the finals in 1993, when she lost to Mary Joe Fernandez, and 1994, when she lost to Steffi Graf.

Coetzer said she appreciates playing more now that she's gotten older.

"I realize it's not going to last forever, so every match is very, very important to me. I don't always look like I'm having fun, but deep inside I am,'' she said. "I really am enjoying it and appreciating it.''

Hantuchova, who defeated Martina Hingis in the Pacific Life Open final a year ago, said Coetzer simply outplayed her.

"She was almost not missing a ball at all,'' she said. "At the moment, she's very confident. She won a tournament (at Acapulco) last week. It's very tough against her because she's so fast and gets to everything.

"I finished so great here last year. It's just a shame that this time it didn't work out.''

Coetzer, who won the tile in Acapulco last week, will play the winner of the match between Conchita Martinez and Emmanuelle Gagliardi in the quarterfinals.

In the other match, top-seeded Kim Clijsters defeated Nathalie Dechy 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

Information from Reuters was used in this report.